


Death and Void

by Maplestrazsa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Puns, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Gen, Harry and Sans are bros, Harry romance is maybe, M/M, Slow Burn, Some Fluff, Some angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-05
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-22 03:15:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 22,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9580085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maplestrazsa/pseuds/Maplestrazsa
Summary: Being the Master of Death was a bit Vague. Overseeing the Void has some unintended consequences.Gaster meets the Master of Death and Undertale is forever changed for it.(Harry meets Gaster, merges with him, and goes to Undertale to fix some Time Shenanigans. Pls give it a try.)





	1. A New Adventure Begins

**Author's Note:**

> So Undertale is now my new obsession. After reading some fics and seeing how few Harry Potter/Undertale fics there are I thought I would give my idea a go. It might feel a little rushed in the beginning but don't worry, each chapter will be a combination of 'present(undertale)' and 'Past(The Void)' sections, with Gaster and Harry's interaction before the main plot revealed as we go :) If you get confused, don't worry, everything will be explained eventually. 
> 
> I also made a pic of what I think Gaster!Harry looks like. I'm not the best at drawing so be kind. Its on my Tumblr which hasn't seen any use for about 2 years lol Feel free to send me messages there as well. 
> 
> http://maple-strazsa.tumblr.com
> 
> "Talking out loud"  
> '(Gaster speaking in Wingdings)'

:Undertale:

Waking up in a small patch of yellow flowers, bathed in sunlight, at the bottom of a large cavern was surprisingly not that surprising. Considering the circumstances for Harry to find himself in this exact situation, it was actually a bit of a relief that he had found himself here. It meant the plan had worked, that Harry had successfully made it into the Underground and hasn’t been shredded to pieces by the Barrier in the Void. Gaster had been correct, though the Scientist hadn’t had any doubt Harry would make it, and Harry was able to enter the Multi-verse with Gaster’s assistance. It was just a matter of if their combined soul would pass the entrance test. 

Slowly sitting up in the middle of the patch of flowers Harry took a moment to take in himself. It had actually been quite a long time since he had been able to see himself in any sort of corporal form. Without a mirror he could only see so much and, having been warned by Gaster that magic worked much differently here, didn’t want to risk a magical incident trying to create one. 

First on his list to inspect was his clothing. Thankfully he was fully dressed and not naked, Neither had been sure clothing transferred through the void, with his wand on hand. Or a regular stick. Harry couldn’t be sure until he tested his magic. 

Dragon hide boots in red and black shades adorned his feet, comfy and supporting, that protected his ankles. He would be walking a lot according to Gaster’s plan so the boots were appreciated. Faded but functional blue jeans covered his legs, tucked into his boots to avoid snagging, were held onto his hips by a black belt. A stylized skull with fangs functioned has a belt buckle. Harry vaguely recognized it but couldn’t place it which probably meant it was something more familiar to Gaster than Harry himself.

A red hooded sweater covered his chest that had a gold stripe going across the middle of it. The gryffindor colors hit him with nostalgia. Everything he was wearing was covered by a long dark grey coat that looked both like a robe and a scientist coat. It was soft and lined inside, adding a bit of warmth to the chilly cavern air. Reaching a hand to his face found that Harry was missing his glasses, but he still had perfect vision. In place of his famous scar there was now 2 long jagged ones along his eyes where Gaster’s skull had been cracked and melted. The one over his right eye went up into his hair line, splitting his bangs, where he found the right side of his hair had been shavedd off. Without a mirror he couldn’t tell how much hair was gone and hopefully it didn’t look too bad. 

Slowly standing up Harry checked for any aches or pains and found none. He was in perfect health, which was amazing considering he was half the dead wizard Harry Potter, AKA The Master of Death, and half Gaster, the Royal Scientist of the Underground who had lost himself into the Void. Picking up the stick, or perhaps wand, Harry spotted rough scars on the back of his hand in the shape of a circle. They weren’t sensitive to touch so Harry ignored them as there was nothing he could do about them.

All in All, Harry was surprised on how little he had changed body wise considering he had absorbed another being’s soul into his own. It could have been worse, like his entire body melting into itself, A couple of scars and missing hair was pretty mild. 

'(The changes will be more apparent in your soul. Monsters are mostly soul and Magic than physical bodies)'

Harry startled a bit at the voice, turning around and spotting the tall Skeleton behind him. Gaster was no longer melting into a puddle and melding together, standing tall in his suit and white jacket. He was also translucent and slightly floating. 

“So you weren’t absorbed completely? I’m kind of glad, since this was your idea.” Harry gave a weak smile, putting his wand(or stick?) in his back pocket. The skeleton nodded weakly, moving closer with no sound he had done so.

'(Indeed. While I had not foreseen our souls merging it is quite fortunate that I am still myself, if only able to interact with the Host, That is, you, Harry. Perhaps the ghost type monsters might be able to see Us, but our physical form is yours only.)'

Sighing softly, Harry turned to look around the cavern he was in. There seemed to be only one exit hidden in the shadows that lead further into the caves. “So, do you know where we are Gaster? This is your universe after all.” Harry was glad that the Skeleton had retained his own self and able to communicate. This would have been a huge pain in the ass to do solo without any direction or information. The tall skeleton looked around the cavern as well, then shrugged. 

'(I cannot say. The Barrier is nearby but I do not recognize this place. We are in the Underground but somewhere I have not been before. I no longer have access to the Void and the luxury of the timelines to see our path. I am sorry)'

“Don’t Worry about it. We are in the right place at least, so we might as well look for this anomaly while looking for somewhere you recognize. There seems to be only one way out. Better get moving.” Stepping out of the yellow flowers gave Harry a strange sense of starting a new adventure. Heading towards the cave he had spotted before revealed that it wasn’t just a cave but some sort of ruins. The shadows coated the crumbling pillars and walls in a purple hue. 

Entering through the doorway without looking back, Harry missed the confused small child left behind in the sunlight. Something had happened to change The Game and Harry hadn’t see them next to Gaster. Not like the other child could, the missing child with the red soul.

Starting a New Adventure in a New Universe fills you with DETERMINATION.

-Death and Void-

:The Void, In the Perceived Past:

Being the Master of Death really ended up being sort of anti-climactic. Harry had lived his life after the war on his own terms. He had a wife, children, a dream job, a family, and life long friends. Dying of old age in his own home surrounded by love was the end of Harry Potter’s story, but the beginning of The Master of Death’s. 

There was no flashy meeting with Death, no crazy antics or dramatic reveals. Harry faded from life and into the Void. Cut from time and space Harry found he knew everything he needed to know. Death was a concept, a finality and a renewal. There was no being known as Death, or personification of, there just was. 

Harry was Master over Death. He could not die, not in the way others could. When his physical body perished, his soul would just re-enter the Void. It made him eternal but not immortal. Harry had not been Harry Potter for millennia. Harry also found he could not enter any other Universe but his own, as in, The Wizard World and all the potential time lines associated with it. The Void was a paradox, existing without existing. It was the vague space that held Multi-Universe’s, as in many more worlds then his own and their time lines, suspended outside of time and space. Harry could see them all yet not. 

The Master of Death was the caretaker of the Void, the overseer of the Multi-verse’s and existence itself. It was incredibly boring. Harry spent most of his time living life after life in his own Multi-Universe for lack of anything to do. Not surprising in the least but the Void was very self-sufficient. Harry did not need to intervene or supervise the workings of it. Life became meaningless and disposable, a few decades of passing time before entering the Void once more.

Stagnating in the Void became inevitable to the Master which was the reason why Harry caught the ripple through the Void in the first place. Not much happened in the Void, the Multi-Universe’s held the people and time and meaning, but when something did Happen? Harry became curious. He was unaware anything else could enter the Void at all. 

It took many years(or moments?) for Harry to uncover the cause of the ripple. Mostly because the cause had been ripped to shreds of energy and spread across the Void. It wasn’t the most hospitable place to get lost in after all. Once Harry was able to understand the disturbance it was easy to gather the entity’s energy back together. 

And so the Monster and Scientist Gaster was saved from the Void by Harry Potter, The Master of Death, and a new friendship of Hope was born. 

'(Finding the answer to the destruction of your Universe fills your soul with DETERMINATION)'


	2. A flower and a Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry moves forward into the Underground and more information from the Void is known.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wanted to get a bit more of the story out so you guys will have a better feel of what it is about. Weekends will really be my own time to write in large batches like this. Any questions or if something is unclear then feel free to drop a comment. I'll try to clear anything up that wont be explained later in the story. My tumblr is http://maple-strazsa.tumblr.com so feel free to chat there if you don't want to comment here. Enjoy!

:Undertale:

The cavern was shrouded in darkness with only small spots of sunlight coming from the cracked ceiling. A large patch of it had some grass growing on the dirt floor in the sunlight, beckoning a weary traveller to rest at it. It was possibly in the middle of the large room and Harry headed to the patch in order to find his bearings in the dark room. 

Approaching the patch starting giving him a small sense of dread, or perhaps paranoia, making his stride slow down. Harry couldn’t fathom why the innocuous patch of grass was giving him such strong ‘stay away’ vibes. 

‘(Be careful. I cannot see the Timelines anymore but I remember most of what I’ve seen. The soulless flower appears there before a human child, I can recognize this at least. We must be in the locked ruins no one has entered in years.)’ 

Harry stopped just before the patch of sunlight, turning to look at his floating companion. The skeleton looked a bit worried, as much as a Skull could look worried, staring ahead at the patch of grass. Harry only knew a small portion about this Multi-Verse. It was known as Undertale, with variations in the timeline known by its quirks. Gaster had classified them for ease of viewing. Humans fell into the Monster Underground and eventually died, their soul harvested in order to eventually break the barrier trapping Monsters inside Mt. Ebott. The time Paradox centered around the 7th fallen human, who seemed to be the beginning point of most of the timelines. 

The plan had been for Harry to step into the timeline and find out the way the Human Child, Frisk, had been causing the Time Loops. It would cause a new timeline splinter but the information they gathered could be used to stop the loops in the other timelines when Harry returned to the Void. 

Neither had anticipated encountering the obstacles that the Human Child would encounter instead, planning on landing in Gaster’s Lab or even Snowdin where the Skeleton’s had lived. 

Harry hummed contemplatively then gave a small shrug. “Maybe it won’t show. We could have landed early, before the Human falls here. Finding the exit shouldn’t be too hard.” The Master didn’t want trepidation to hinder their task to find the time paradox. Harry steps into the sunlight.

Almost immediately green vines sprout from the ground, growing until a large yellow flower bloomed in front of them. The flower had a smiling face where the pistil should be, making the flower look more like a mask then an actual flower. It grew upward until it reached Harry’s thighs. 

“Howdy. I’m Flowey. Flowey the flower.” The face in the flower said with a distinctive male voice. Harry was surprised on just how big the flower had gotten. When Gaster had described the soulless flower that housed the consciousness of a fallen monster Harry had assumed it would be tiny. The skeleton beside him gave him a warning of caution, apparently the flower held a lot of magic and could be hostile, being the cause of more then one Time Loop before the Child arrived. 

“Hello Flowey. You wouldn’t happen to know where the exit is here, would you?” Harry saw no reason to be rude the flower. After all, It(He?) hadn’t done anything to Harry. Yet. The smile on the flower seemed to get bigger, yet more fake. Harry knew without a soul the flower couldn’t feel much emotion other then boredom, positive or negative, and felt sympathy for the flower. The Void wasn’t too big on excitement either. 

“You’re new the Underground, aren’t you? Golly, you must be so confused!” The voice was trying to sound concerned but Harry could tell it was fake, sweet and sugary to hide the salty aggression. Best to nip this in the bud before it got out of hand. Harry gave his own fake smile back, wide and innocent, pulling on the scar that ran over his lips on the left. 

“Well, how right you are! I really could use some directions. You see, a certain Skeleton asked me to come. It would be a shame if I was late. So, how about you cut the bullshit and tell me where the path out of here is.” The flower seemed to freeze, wide smile cracking a bit, before the expression turned dark. The smile seemed to grow teeth into a sinister grin. 

“You know what’s going on here, don’t you? The Kid was so gullible at first. This looks like its going to be a fun run! So, since you didn’t want to do this the right way, we can just skip ahead. Die!” White seeds spawned around them in a tight circle, slowly spinning, and started to close in on Harry while the flower laughed manically. Gaster was frantic next to him, explaining that white magic was harmful to the soul, and usually could only be used for battle. Harry’s soul hadn’t been taken from his body to initiate a conflict like other humans so Gaster had no idea what the bullets would do to Harry’s body. 

Before they could find out a fireball shot from the darkness and hit the flower, causing the bullet attack to dissipate while the flower merged back into the ground to escape the flames with a scream. From the shadows emerged a tall goat monster in a purple robe-like dress. The symbol on the front of it matched some symbols that Harry had seen on the walls in the ruins. The Monster looked worried, rushing closer to Harry with a hand outstretched. 

“What a terrible creature, torturing an innocent. Do not be afraid, I am Toriel, Caretaker of the Ruins.” The Goat Monster gave Harry a genuine reassuring smile, giving off all sorts of maternal vibes. This Monster was definitely the Mom type, reminding Harry of Mrs. Weasley. 

‘(That is Queen Toriel. She disappeared after the loss of her child and the first humans to her husband, King Asgore. It would seem she has been in the forgotten Ruins this entire time.)’ 

Harry looked at Gaster with surprise at the information, since the Monster Monarchs hadn’t really come up before past the King collecting souls, causing Toriel to look at him with concern. He was staring at thin air after all. Harry collected himself and gave a soft smile back at the woman, reminding himself to not be so obvious with Gaster in the future. He didn’t need to be written off as crazy from the get go. 

“It’s quite alright Mrs. Toriel. I was just caught a little off guard is all. I mean, Monsters are one thing, but talking flowers? Thank you for the help.” Harry offered a grin, causing the caretaker to flush and giggle softly. He offers his hand, wondering if Monsters shook hands when meeting people, not wanting to be rude. “My name is Harry. It’s nice to meet you.” 

Toriel looks at the hand curiously before grasping it with a soft smile, not letting go. Harry didn’t consider himself short but he only came up to Toriel’s chest, making him feel like a teenager all over again. “Toriel is just fine, Dear. I come here everyday to check for Fallen Humans, and you are the first in quite some time. Come, I will guide you through the catacombs. This way.” Gently tugging Harry’s hand, Toriel walked into the shadows around them and towards a revealed doorway. It looked just like the one he had arrived in but Toriel seemed to know her way around. 

Not wanting to be rude Harry let Toriel keep his hand, being led through the winding caves by the larger Monster like a child. It felt, maybe not right, but nice. Like he was being taken care of, like he could trust this Toriel. Gaster followed behind them, whispering into the Darkness. 

‘( The Queen is one of, if not the, most kind monster in the Underground. You will be in good hands. We should be able to find the exit to Snowdin must faster with her help. Try to keep on her good side.)’

Finding Kindness in the strange unknown darkness fills you with DETERMINATION. 

:Death and Void:

:The Void, In The Perceived Past:

Gathering up Gaster’s magic and essence had been a fun distraction from living out timeline after timeline in The Wizard World. It was the first time Harry had done anything major in the Void. The vast emptiness was actually quite chaotic from paradoxically existing. To someone unused to the perpetual tug and pull of the swirling Void it would be easy to lose themselves.

It should have been impossible in the first place for someone to enter the Void. Death kept the cycle of rebirth tight and controlled, any souls that perished returned to the timeline at a later time. To enter the Void meant someone had died, without dying, which was something Harry thought only he could do. 

Once he had gathered enough of Gaster for the being to be aware of himself Harry started on questioning him. In the beginning stages Gaster was nothing more then a black and white shapeless form, communicating through the Void. As more energy gathered Gaster slowly took his original shape, vaguely. It was quite odd having a slime version of a skeleton hanging around. Harry only knew Gaster was a Skeleton Monster from the Monsters reassurance that it was true. 

In the Void, perception of self was completely up to the being. Gaster slowly reformed himself into he former body out of familiarity. Harry, on the other hand, had so many different bodies in his own Universe that his Void form was just a vaguely human shape bordered in Darkness. The Void was just that, Void. Darkness was a stark contrast to nothingness. 

Meeting Gaster also introduced Harry to the Multi-verse which the Monster was from. Once the being had gathered enough strength he could return at his leisure but Harry could not join him. Instead, he asked Gaster to tell him about his Universe before returning. Gaster did something even better, He lead the Master to the world of his origin, and together they looked over the Multi-verse, Undertale. 

It was there, in the Void, that they first witnessed the Time Paradox. The Glitch. The Multi-verse seemed to shimmer and shake, before splintering a new timeline in a violent upheaval. Timelines spawned naturally from each choice and decision made, a smooth branching off from a nexus point, like branches of a tree. This violent splintering was forcefully creating a new nexus point, a new decision, made from someone not naturally in the time stream, but of the future or past. 

The Void was independent of the inner workings of Multi-verses, which was why Harry could not enter any other Multi-verse but his own, but this was a startling discovery. With enough splintering, the timelines could be irreparably damaged or even destroyed outright. Without finding the cause and putting an end to it Undertale could cease to exist or be changed forever from its original design. 

Gaster would not allow his home to be destroyed if you had any say but, even with his essence in the Void, he did not have the power or knowledge to stop the splintering. Harry, however, as The Master of Death, could come and go as he wished, fixing the timelines and restoring Undertale. The only problem was getting the Master inside Undertale.

‘(Finding a way to save your family fills your soul with DETERMINATION.’)


	3. A problem is found

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry continues through the ruins with Toriel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another chapter yay! I thought about keeping to the normal script of the game but it seemed more like how someone would speak to a shy child. Harry is definitely not shy, nor does he look like a kid. So, enjoy the dialogue! We might get to actual battles eventually lol
> 
> Comment if anything is confusing, I don't mind explaining if it doesn't spoil a future chapter :D

:Undertale:

It was eerily quiet while Toriel led Harry through the winding dark cavern. Turning a corner the tunnel was suddenly flooded with a bright light. Moving into it Harry had to cover his eyes, blinking spots away. The room Toriel had led him into was brightly lit without any real source of light. A huge wall with stairs and a door stood in front of them, marked with the symbol on Toriel's robe. 

Toriel let go of his hand when they came out of the darkness, heading to the right and up one of the staircases. “This is the catacombs. A series of puzzles meant to keep humans from entering further into the Underground. It will be perilous as we continue. Do not worry, I will guide you. This way.” 

The goat monster gave Harry a soft smile then headed through the doorway at the top of the stairs. Harry crossed his arms, humming a bit as he stopped at the bottom of the grand staircase. “Well, She looks quite energetic. Why do I get the feeling that not much happens down here?” Gaster stopped beside him, rubbing his chin in thought. ‘(It is nice to see the Queen in such good spirits. She has become.. despondent with the loss of her child. Perhaps coming here was her way of distancing herself. Being alone can be a blessing and a curse.)’

Harry snorted a laugh at Gaster’s words, moving to go up the stairs after Toriel. “I think we both know the effects of loneliness just a bit too much. Do you think this might end up being a problem? People tend to.. cling, when presented with a solution to their problems.” Harry looked pointedly at Gaster, the phantom Skeleton just smiling and shrugging. 

‘(It shouldn’t be anything to worry about. Toriel isn’t known for violence, or conflict of any kind. It is probably just a relief to have another Soul to talk to.)’ The Skeleton followed after Harry up the stairs and through the door, spotting Toriel waiting for them next to a small wooden bridge. 

“This way. I have deactivated the puzzles to speed up our journey through the catacombs. It is best not to linger, just in case that Flower returns. It is odd, I have never seen that particular monster in the Ruins before.” Toriel gestured for Harry to follow her over the bridge and down another, brightly lit, hallway. There were signs up explaining the puzzles they past in simple terms, almost as if they were meant for children. 

“Oh Really? Do monsters usually stay in one place down here? I would have thought travelling would be a big thing.” Harry responded, hands in his jean pockets as he followed the goat monster with a casual stroll. Everything in this area was quite beautiful, the ruins preserved well, and so much different from anything he’d seen in the Wizarding World. Toriel gave him a small, uncertain smile, leading him around a corner to reveal what appeared to be a training dummy of some sort. “The Underground isn’t as big as one would expect. Most monsters have already seen most of it and decide to settle in their favourite area. Now, as a human in the underground, Monsters may attack you. When this happens, try a friendly conversation until the conflict can be resolved. Give it a try.” 

Harry looked at Toriel with an incredulous stare, then hesitantly looked at the training dummy. He was frankly uncertain of what Toriel expected him to do. A quiet chuckle came from his right from Gaster, the Skeleton amused at the situation. The Master of Death stared at the training dummy and could swear it was staring back. Glancing between Toriel’s patient expectant face and Gaster’s amused one, Harry gave a sigh and rocked back on his heels, hands still in pockets, in a casual stance. 

“So..., uh, nice, cavern you got here? Real classy..?” Harry stared at the dummy, which, unsurprisingly, didn’t reply. He wasn’t sure what he expected. A soft giggle drew his attention to Toriel, the goat lady covering her mouth to stifle the laugh, who thankfully waved Harry to continue following her. “Very.. Very good Human. Remember, you can always talk your way out of a conflict without resorting to violence.” A low chuckle came from behind him and Harry quickly turned a glare at Gaster while Toriel wasn’t looking. The skeleton looked innocently back at him. 

“This is another puzzle. It’s a bit dangerous, dear. Come, follow my steps.” Harry watched Toriel approach a bridge covered in spikes with worry. The nice lady seemed to know what she was doing but the spikes were large and sharp. Just as she was about step on one it sank into the ground. He made sure to follow her steps closely to traverse the bridge. This was a bit sadistic wasn’t it? One wrong step and someone could lose a foot. 

“Is the underground like this everywhere? The perilous puzzles i mean. Isn’t that a bit dangerous to the monsters that live here?” Harry breathed a soft sigh of relief once they had crossed the spike bridge. Toriel gave him a warm smile, opening the door to the next room. “We set up the puzzles and made sure the answers were readily available to any monster that would need to cross them. It is a defence against humans after all. Ah..” 

The goat lady looked down the long corridor ahead of them which was covered in vines with a contemplative look. “Seems like a strange defence but I can’t really judge I suppose.” Harry watched his monster guide stare off down the hallway, getting a bit worried. He looked to Gaster, who shrugged just as confused, then gently touched Toriel’s hand. Toriel jumped at the touch, looking at Harry blankly, then giving him a sad smile. 

“Oh, dear, Sorry to trouble you. I have something to ask of you. Please, make your way on your own for now? Forgive me.” The goat monster rushed off down the corridor, quickly moving out of sight of the confused pair. 

“Uh, ok? See you later then..? What a strange woman.” Harry shook his head, wondering if all monsters were this strange. Gaster wasn’t a great comparison to begin with but Toriel was starting to come off as just as strange. He was actually starting to get a bit excited. The underground was just so different then The Wizard World. 

‘(The Queen seemed troubled. Perhaps her isolation in these ruins was not the best idea in the long term. No matter, I’m sure we can navigate the ruins without any trouble.)’ Gaster looked to where the Queen Monster had disappeared, unable to shake a sense of trepidation. 

“Right. They feel more like they were meant for children to figure out, like training for something later on. Weird. Well, no point in lingering. Do we have a destination in mind?” Harry stepped off away form the door, making his way down the worn pathway in the corridor, not worried in the least. So far, the most dangerous thing they had encountered had been the flower back in the cavern which Toriel had toasted. 

‘( Our first place to check should be my lab. All my notes and machines are there. It will be our first step in finding the source of the anomaly, or at least a clue. The core is nearby as well, which will be helpful.)’ 

“Alright. If I remember correctly your lab is in Hotland right? You know the way once we find this Snowdin place you used to live in?” 

‘(That is correct. We just need to find the exit to the ruins, it should open to somewhere in the forest near Snowdin. Once we get there, we will have to avoid my children. I don’t think they will be the most... hospitable, given the nature of my departure. If they even remember...)’ 

Harry looked at the Skeleton floating beside him, giving a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. A far as I can tell I don’t look all that much like you, except for the scars, so we should be aright. Who knows, maybe one of them found your research and continued your work. We’ll handle that when we get to it. Chin up!” 

Humming softly, Harry picked up the pace a bit, the corridor much longer then any they had walked down so far. Hopefully at the other end was the exit and the next step towards their goal. 

Heading towards your destination with a sure step fills you with DETERMINATION.

:Death and Void:

:The Void, In The Perceived Past:

Gaster had insisted on returning to his Multi-verse before Harry had finished gathering up his being, wanting to know what had changed with the splintering. Harry had advised against this, since doing so wouldn’t guarantee Gaster could rejoin his world in the same capacity he had left it. The power of the Void was not something that should enter a Multi-verse without extreme caution, even just residual effects clinging to the half formed skeleton. 

Gaster insisted he would be fine. 

Harry did not see he friend for a while after that. The Undertale Multi-verse continued to splinter but the process seemed to slow once Gaster returned to his world. He could still feel the skeleton in the void with him however. By the time Gaster found his way back to Harry, the Master has finished gathering up the rest of his friend. 

The news Gaster brought back with him was concerning. 

Giving the skeleton the rest of his energy completely reformed the being back to his original state, if incorporeal. Harry was a little surprised that Gaster was indeed a skeleton able to function without muscle or organs, complete with lab coat and suit, and listened to what Gaster had found out while drifting through the Multi-verse. 

Time had been cracked by an energy known as Determination, which was held in humans in large quantities. A human child was changing time, moving through the time lines at a whim, always returning to the same nexus point which was When the child fell into the underground. 

It was impossible for just the power of determination to do so much damage, since it was just a type of magic, so Gaster theorized that something was aiding the child. This was backed up when splinters starting forming in places other then the original nexus point. 

Determination wasn’t the cause, but it was worsening the problem. Human souls each held a major trait which was apparent based on the colour of the soul. The child in question had a determined soul, a soul which generated determination at an unprecedented scale, but was still not enough to crack the timelines to such a degree with so little effort. Something was aiding the child. 

If Gaster was to fix the problem, he would need to find whatever was effecting the child’s determination. To do that, he would need to be able to flow between the Multi-verse but be able to interact with it. A power he no longer possessed now that he had been completely restored.

A power, however, that someone else did have. All Gaster needed to do was find a solution to the pesky problem of Multi-verse boundaries.

‘(Finding a Solution fills you with DETERMINATION.)’


	4. A new friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry meets a new friend and make more headway into the ruins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit that I've been writing a lot since the ideas keep coming. I'm really eager to get to Snowdin and it probably shows lol. Enjoy!

:The Void, In the Perceived Past:

Harry had been alone for a very long time. Living lifetime after lifetime, experiencing the same events and meeting the same people over and over had lead to a crippling apathy. Why connect to people if you’ll just end up back in the Void, silent and alone. Soon, Harry spent more time languishing in the Void between Multi-verses then his own universe. 

He could never explain to the people in The Wizard World just what he was going through. The Void, endless lifetimes, a duty that was nothing more then watching the world exist. Whenever he tried to explain it was always taken as either Harry was going crazy, eccentric, or meant it all in metaphors. 

Being Alone in eternity was hard, it was hard and nobody understood. 

Then, Gaster came. 

Suddenly, The Void wasn’t so empty, Wasn’t so lonely, and for the first time Harry was glad he was in The Void. He could help with something, do something only he could do, and talk to someone who finally, truly, understood life in the Void. 

When Gaster told Harry of his plan to restore Undertale, or at the very least cease the splintering of the time lines, Harry felt a moment of panic. If the skeleton went back into his world, without an anchor to The Void, he would not be able to return to Harry a second time. He would go back to being the only person who could enter the void. 

He would be alone again.

Maybe forever this time. 

Then Gaster explained souls to him, the colors and the magic, how Monsters were a representation of their soul and magic, and how Monsters can absorb human souls. It was theorized that Humans could also hold a Monster soul but it had never been proven. A monster would not willingly give up their soul and they did not persist after death like a human soul did. 

To enter Undertale, one had to be a part of the Time Line. Harry could not enter, Gaster however could. Harry could help resolve the Time Splinters and restore Undertale to it’s original state, while Gaster could not. The skeleton would just rejoin the Time Line where he naturally would, restoring some of the splintering but not fixing the problem. 

Harry had listened to Gaster’s plan, of bringing him into the time lines in order to keep Undertale from destroying itself, unsure if he wanted that kind of responsibility again. To be a chosen one, a Savior. The other option was letting Gaster go back alone, and remaining alone in the Void. Maybe forever. The choice wasn’t really much of one. 

The problem came down to soul. Unless they found a way to break the tether between Harry and the Void in order for Gaster to take in Harry’s soul, which was impossible, Gaster would not be able to bring the Master of Death with him through the Multi-verse barrier. On the flip side Gaster could summon his soul at will. His body was just magic, energy, that connected to the soul after all. The solution was simple. 

Turns out Humans could take a Monster’s soul within themselves, especially when willingly given. 

“(Entering Undertale to fix the Time Lines and save the Multi-verse fills you with DETERMINATION.)”

:Death and Void:

:Undertale: 

Harry wasn’t expecting to see Toriel again so soon, the Monster had rushed off so quickly she must have something important to do, but Toriel was waiting for them at the next doorway at the end of the corridor. She looked proud, like Harry being able to navigate a hallway on his own was a huge feat. Harry wasn’t entirely sure why Toriel seemed to be so invested in him but it was starting to get a little creepy. 

“I am sorry for rushing off so suddenly. I knew you would be fine on your own but I just needed to know for sure.” Toriel looked a bit apologetic for leaving Harry on his own. The human really hoped this didn’t turn into some sort of kidnapping, he was getting some odd vibes from Toriel. “I have some errands I need to do and I must leave you alone for a while. Please, be careful and do not wander. There are more puzzles further into the catacombs and I do not want you to get hurt. Here, if you need me, call me on this phone. Be safe, Dear.” 

Toriel handed Harry an old flip cellphone which had one contact number. It looked like it had seen better days and had been fixed with whatever the monsters in the underground could find. “Oh, thank you Toriel. You really don’t have to go through all this trouble. I’m not a kid, you know? I can handle myself fine, Really.” Harry’s words seemed to still Toriel, the goat lady’s face blanking before pulling up a weak smile. She took his hand and gave him a pleading look. 

“I know Dear. Independence is important, but the Ruins are dangerous to those who don’t know them. Please, be careful, for me?” Harry tried, really tried, to resist the pleading look Toriel was giving him. He failed, spectacularly, to resist the guilt of disappointing the sweet if odd monster. Sighing softly, Harry nodded and returned the smile with a patient one. “Of course, you don’t need to worry about me while you are gone. I’ll be okay here.” 

Toriel seemed to relax at the reassurance, smile soft and bright once more. “Thank you Dear. Be good and stay put, okay?” She squeezed his hand in hers before letting go and turning to leave the room. There was another cavern connected to this one that seemed to have red leaves in it. 

“Sure, sounds good. No need to hurry. See you later, Toriel.” Harry took in a deep breath and sighed over the sound of Gaster chuckling next to him. He turned and looked at the skeleton with a stern frown. “I don’t see what you find so amusing. I’d like to see you try to disappoint a kind, lonely, goat lady. It would be like kicking a puppy, unusually cruel and unnecessary.” Harry gave the woman a few moments to get ahead of him before walking after her. There was no one he was just going to wait here until she returned to lead him elsewhere. Harry had important things to to, Like saving the multi-verse. 

‘(Forgive me for finding amusement in your interactions. I remember seeing the human child, Frisk, coming through here and it is quite amusing to see the contrast. It is much easier to handle her if you are actually 10 years old I should think. Do not hold her mothering against her, one never loses those instincts after all.)’ Gaster floated along next to him as he explored the room with the red leaves. A giant frog like monster was sitting near the leaves, looking confused to see him. It kept it’s distance while Harry explored, which the Human was grateful for. So far, Monsters did not seem all that aggressive, which was starting to confuse Harry why the humans had trapped them all in this mountain.

“Well, even though I’ve lived countless time lines in my own multi-verse, the first will always be the backbone for who you are in your very soul. Mother figures are nice, and I must admit to a certain weakness for them, but I still feel a little, well, awkward around them. I’m an Adult, I can make big boy decisions.” Harry wasn’t concerned with the large frog overhearing his conversation to himself. Gaster had told him that humans were so rare in the Underground that the average monster wouldn’t know what was normal behaviour for a human. Talking to himself would just become a quirk over time. 

‘( I have no doubt as the Lord of the Void that you can make ‘Big Boy Decisions.’ I must admit to being a bit curious about your soul. In the Void, you were nothing but a blank outline. In this world, souls are usually heart shaped in the chest cavity. I wonder what it looks like now compared to before our union. What did your soul look like before?)’ Gaster’s scientific curiosity was ever present. 

Harry hummed, looking over the bowl of monster candy he had found. Grabbing one he read the side of it. Non-licorice flavor. How very.. vague. “Well, souls in my world didn’t really have a physical manifestation. It existed, even had magical properties, but it wasn’t something you could touch. You really could only see the effects it produced, such as a possessed diary carrying a soul fragment. Coming here will be the first time I will have an opportunity to see my own soul. I wonder what color it will be now that I have you as well.” 

Usually, when a monster carried a human soul, the souls stayed separate entities that fed into each other and able to leave the body at will. However, when Gaster’s soul had entered his Void body, the soul did not just place itself inside him, it had merged into his very essence. Essentially, Gaster and Harry were one person, one entity, which made Gaster’s after image such an oddity. Harry had thought for sure he had lost his friend into himself. 

Will and determination was a powerful thing though, even perhaps the grant the unconscious desire to not be alone. 

‘(Without knowing your souls original color I cannot be sure on what combining mine into it will do. Monster souls are white in color so I cannot see it drastically changing the dynamic. This has never happened before, so all of this is just moot conjecture. We will know once we have the opportunity to inspect ourselves at the lab.’) Gaster watched has Harry traversed the corridors of the Ruins, avoiding pit falls and dead ends. 

Toriel called the phone a few times, asking about them and if they left the room. At one point she called asking if Harry liked butterscotch or cinnamon. He didn’t really have a favourite and told her so. A couple times Harry called Toriel, just to make sure he wasn’t about to run into her, and learned a few things about the Goat Lady. Namely, she wasn’t much of a talker over the phone. A few puzzles later, a talking rock, and avoiding a few other Monsters out and about they soon found a small doorway that was being blocked by a ghost. 

Harry blinked a bit at the generic shape of the ghost, used to the ghosts back in his own world. He would not judge though, the ghost could look like however it wanted. It was, however, blocking his way forward and it would be rude to just walk through someone. 

“Uh, hello?” The ghost didn’t move but a low hum started up. It kind of sounded like snoring, but really fake. Harry raised an eyebrow at the ‘sleeping’ ghost. Who were they trying to kid? Ghosts didn’t sleep. “Excuse me? You are kind of laying in the way. You could possibly..” The snoring had just gotten louder as Harry talked. So, it was going to be like that was it? Rude. 

Taking a calming breath, Harry stepped forward and gently nudged the Ghost with his foot. “I know you aren’t asleep.” It took a moment but the Ghost ‘sat’ up, floating in front of him with an extreme look of sadness. Or depression. It was kind of creepy. 

 

They just stared at each other for a moment until Harry got uncomfortable with the blank ghost stare. “Uh, Hi, sorry to bother you? I kind of, need to get through this door way.” The ghost seemed to waiver and then floated back to the ground a bit. “Oh..” 

Harry was not entirely sure what to do here. The ghost wasn’t attacking him, or really doing much of anything, just kind of sitting there and.. maybe crying? Oh shit. Way to make Harry feel like the scum of the underground, to accidentally make a Ghost cry. 

“Hey, uh, it’s ok really. I don’t mind you laying around. It would have be.. rude, to step over you? That’s really no way to make a friend by stepping on someone, ya know?” Harry was not the best at consoling people, even less at helping depressed ghosts. The ghost looked up at him and the tears seemed to stop a bit. “Heh..” 

Harry quickly looked to Gaster for some help, but the skeleton was just looking at him with amusement. The Master changed his mind, Gaster was a huge dick and their friendship was going to be revoked. This was no laughing matter, he had a crying ghost(kid?) on his hands here. “Uh, hey. Cheer up. You, uh, wanna here a joke?” Harry was grasping at straws here but his own children from lives past seemed to like jokes and pranks when they were feeling sad. It was something Harry was actually familiar with. 

“..Okay..” Was the quiet response Harry got. Relieved a bit that he could do something for this ghost he have a goofy smile. “Ok, well, How did the ghost song and dance act make a living?” Harry waited for the ghost to participate in the joke but it just stared at him, waiting. Not awkward at all. 

“By appearing in television spooktaculars! Get it?” Harry’s smile was beginning to crumble a little as silence came from the ghost. Gaster had cracked up in a laugh beside him however. 

“Heh... Heh...” The ghost had a bit of a smile now, floating higher in the air. Thankfully it seemed to be working and the crying has stopped. Harry grinned at the weak laugh, feeling like he had accomplished something here. 

“There we go. Chin up! It’s a wonderful day to be a ghost, yeah?” The ghost seemed to smile a bit more, perking up. 

“Let me try..” Harry almost startled at the voice, since the ghost hadn’t said anything unprompted thus far, and watched as a hat appeared on the ghost’s head. “I call it ‘Dapper’ Blook. Do you like it..?” The ghost seemed eager for his response.

Harry couldn’t help but grin and give a little clap. “Excellent! I like it!” It seemed to perk the ghost right up. He wondered if ghost monsters could blush, because this one looked about ready to. 

“Oh wow... I usually come to the Ruins because there is nobody around... but today I met somebody nice..” The hat on the Ghost’s head seemed to dissipate. Harry smiled patiently and offered a hand. Just because the ghost didn’t have arms didn’t mean he couldn’t be polite. 

“Well, It was nice to meet you. I’m glad I could make your day a little bit brighter. I’m Harry.” The ghost seemed to look at his hand in confusion before staring at him again. 

“I’m Napstablook... .... I’ve been rambling again.. I’ll get out of your way..” Napstablook seemed to suddenly be shy, curling up and phasing into the wall of the doorway and out of sight. 

“Oh, no it’s okay. You can talk as much... Alright, see you later then..” Harry watched the ghost go through the wall, a bit perplexed. Monsters were such an odd bunch. The laughter next to him seemed to pick up, Harry looking over to see Gaster almost bent over from the chuckles. 

“Oh, and what is so funny, huh? Depressed ghost kids are not a laughing matter. I didn’t even know ghost could cry...” Gaster seemed to compose himself, wiping away a non-existent purple tear from his eye socket. 

‘(It was just too humorous to watch you flounder in trying to cheer up Napstablook. You control the very essence of existence yet can’t even keep composed when presented with a depressed ghost. It was just too funny!)’ Gaster began to crack up again, floating a bit sideways at the rattling from his bones while he laughed. 

Harry frowned (not pouted) and turned away from his so called friend, walking through the doorway Napstablook had been blocking. “That’s it. I’m revoking friendship privileges. You get a time out, Mister!” 

‘( Oh, come on now Harry. It’s not very mature to ignore me, It was funny, you have to agree.... Harry.... Harry..? Oh dear.)’

Making a new friend in the Underground fills you with DETERMINATION.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nabstablook is just such a cutie. I love all the ghosts. It's kinda funny but I can help but make Harry a little fatherly. Partly from Gaster and because of past lives, but still a bit of a kid. I can't really see Harry as too serious, he's such an adventure, pranks, and fun kind of guy. :D


	5. A new home?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry continues into the ruins and is invited into a new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, in this chapter is the last Void flashback, unless something crops up I forgot to explain. So chapters from here on out will be completely Undertale plot line as far as I've got planned. Who knows, the plot might take a mind of it's own. In any case, I hope its been a good read so far. I'm not the best at writing dialogue so I hope the conversations flow alright. Enjoy the chapter!

:The Void, in the Perceived Past.:

“Are you sure, Gaster? This is essentially the entirety of your being. I cannot guarantee what my own magic as the Master of Death and the Void could do to it.” Harry looked at the, upside down vaguely heart shaped, glowing accumulation of energy that he had spent much of his time collecting in the void, that Gaster was offering him. They had spent a lot of time planning for certain scenarios and contingencies for when Harry entered the Undertale Multi-verse, but, Gaster had failed to explain that his way of getting Harry into Undertale in the first place was with using his own soul as the gate key. 

Probably the most dangerous thing a being could attempt in the Void, besides trying to live in it indefinitely. 

‘(This is the only way. I have thought of any other way to allow you entry and I have found none. You must be a denizen of Undertale in order to enter. This will allow you in. Once we arrive you can always place my soul in another vessel. My assistant.. or rather I suppose the Royal Scientist, is experienced with making machine bodies for souls. Everything will be fine.)’ Gaster offered the soul to Harry, the energy floating between him and the vague darkness that was Harry. 

“You don’t know that. My energy is tainted from the Void, who knows how that will mix with soul energy within my new body. It could rip you apart within entry and erase you from existence. The only thing left will be trace energy within the Multi-verse of your origin. It is too dangerous.” Harry moved back from the soul, not wanting to accidentally touch it. His Void form was pure energy, there was no telling what could happen if he wasn’t careful. 

‘(Please Harry. You know what is happening in Undertale. I’ve seen it. The time loops, the endless killing, my sons... This is not the future I wanted for monster kind. If I can do only one thing right with my life, it’s this. I cannot.. watch them die, again and again.. Please..)’ Gaster kept his arms out towards Harry, trying not to show how much this affected him. Salvation from the destruction of his home, from the death of everything he cared about, was only one small act of sacrifice away. His sons.. Sans and Papyrus.. They deserve more then he had given them in his life. 

Harry looked the Skeleton over, seeing the resolve, the stubbornness, the determination written all over his body. Nothing he could say would change Gaster’s mind. Sighing softly, Harry inched closer to the blinding light in the void between them, the radiance sheering off some of the shadow around his essence. A pale grey hand reached for the Soul hesitantly. 

“Gaster... As my friend, I just want you to know that even if this fails, I will do anything I can to make sure Undertale isn’t destroyed. I don’t know if this will work the way you want it to, The Void is anything but predictable, and if we do this, there is no turning back.. Do you understand?” Harry wanted to make sure Gaster knew just how important this was. It was not a decision to make lightly. 

Gaster straighten himself out, the picture of conviction and confidence. ‘( I am a scientist. I think I should be able to calculate the risks of an experiment. This will work. It has to... Harry, Thank you.. for everything you have done. See you soon.)’ With a small smile, Gaster dropped his soul into Harry’s reaching hand. Almost instantly a small shock of energy passed between the two before the Shadows of Harry’s form engulfed the bright light. 

The Void was silent.

Then. 

An ear piecing shriek rang through the silence. The shadows that made of harry seemed to flake and dissipate, revealing a human face bone white, screaming in agony, with black shadows for hair, hands peaking from the blankness that creaked a cloak around his body, and shimmering purple scars running over the face and hands. Panting, Harry opened his eyes, revealing one socket blank with nothing but an endless Void within, the other housed an eye with a glowing purple pupil. 

“(Well... that stung quite a bit... Gaster..?)” The voice was raw, cracking and quiet, the new being drifting listlessly in the quiet of the void. “(Heh... I told you.. Anything could happen...)” 

The being spoke sadly to the empty space beside it. Reaching into itself, it tried to find the soul in its possession. Slowly emerging from the blank void of the cloak, tethered to it’s essence by inky tendrils, a dim grey upside down Heart emerged. Black cracks ran all over it, and it dripped a purple tinged black ooze which seemed to seep into the cracks and hold the soul together. 

“(Well... I guess when you gave me your soul, you didn’t think it would turn into mine as well... After all, I do not belong to Undertale. I did not have a soul tied to that Multi-verse.. In order to enter, I needed a soul.. Gaster...)”

The being seemed to shake, stifling a devastated sob, before looking to the Multi-verse waiting for him. The promise had been made. The barrier was now passable. 

“(Keeping your promise to a lost friend fills you with DETERMINATION.)”

:Death and Void:

:Undertale: 

With the path clear after Napstablook Harry walked into the next area and found a split road. Shrugging he took the right path first, ignoring Gaster trying to get his attention, finding a dead end covered in spider webs. There was a wooden sign in the middle of it. Stepping up, Harry reached out and rubbed some of the webs away to read it. 

‘Spider Bake sale, from spiders, for spiders.’ 

A bake sale? There really wasn’t much here. Looking around Harry could just see more and more spider webs leading into the dark ceiling. Who knew how high it went. 

‘(Muffet runs the Spider Bake Sale. She can be a bit ruthless but fair. She took all the spiders in the Underground under her protection when we arrived here.)’ Harry ignored Gaster’s input, still a bit miffed at being laughed at for trying to be nice to the depressed ghost. 

Still, it was a bake sale, and Harry had managed to find some gold coins walking through the Ruins. Once instance when he almost literally ran into some tiny fairy monster contributed to most of his coins. Harry felt a little bad, taking the dropped bag of coins, but the fairy had fled so quickly he wasn’t sure if he’d ever see them again. Unsure of what to do, Harry laid 8 of the coins on the ground by the mass of webs and waited. 

Amazingly, a few spiders came and picked up the coins, while a few more dropped a doughnut in it’s place. A spider bake sale indeed. Harry couldn’t help but be amused and a bit charmed. The Underground was full of surprises, even after hearing stories from Gaster. 

“Thank you.” Harry said to the spiders on the web as he picked up the doughnut. A closer inspection showed the doughnut was made of spiders. Oh well, looks like the snacking would have to wait. Harry wasn’t quite hungry enough for that yet. 

Turning to leave the way he came to take the other path in the fork saw Harry almost walking into Gaster. Or through Gaster. He wasn’t actually sure if he could touch the translucent skeleton. Rolling his eyes, Harry stepped around the pouting Skeleton and continued on his way. 

Passing more frog creatures, who were kind of adorable since they only came up to his knees, brought Harry to yet another puzzle. Sighing, he got to work, finding the way out, a resting Napstablook who forgot he could fly, and a faded ribbon. There wasn’t much he could do with it but you never know what you might need. Harry couldn’t exactly just go to a store to get some vital item if something came up. Tucking the ribbon into his jean pocket Harry continued, finding another split with a Froggit and a toy knife at a dead end. 

Who left this toy here? It was kind of out of the way and Harry hadn’t seen any children around the Ruins thus far. He decided to leave it, Harry didn’t have much use for a plastic toy. 

Taking the last pathway available to him brought him to a large, dead tree. The questions were starting to mount. Where was the sunlight to even grow plants down here? How were trees here? Whats will all the dead leaves? Magic was peculiar, and Harry knew monsters were pretty much beings of magic, but even this was a little out there. Before he could lose himself to the trail of thought, his pocket began to ring, almost to immediately stop. 

Around the tree Toriel appeared, looking a bit concerned and guilty. “Oh Dear, Are you hurt? How did you get here? I knew I shouldn’t have taken so long.” The Goat lady rushed over to Harry, looking for any wounds from the monsters in the ruins. 

Harry blinked a bit in surprise at the concern, raising his hands to try and placate the monster. “What? No, I’m fine, Really. The most I’ve gotten was a bit of a bruise from falling into a pit earlier. Which wasn’t even all that deep, surprised me more then hurt really.” He smiled reassuringly as the monster gave him a look over. Really, his jeans took a bigger beating them he did, having a small tear in them near the knee now. 

Toriel seemed to relax at seeing no damage on his person, then perked up a bit. “I’m so glad to see you unhurt. The Ruins can be dangerous to new comers. I am sorry for leaving you on your own, It was remiss of me to think I could surprise you like this. Oh, well, I guess I’ve given up the surprise now. Dear, come with me and I’ll show you.” The goat lady seemed to light up with excitement, turning back the way she came and leading of with an energetic step. 

Harry was helpless but to follow, curiosity wanting him to find out what had the monster so happy. “You didn’t have to do anything for me, Toriel. After all, I did come unannounced.” The path Toriel led him down came to a small brick home inside the cavern wall. It was probably much bigger on the inside, going into rock. It looked cozy from the outside. 

Toriel didn’t pause, stepping up to the door and opening it with a smile. “Welcome to my home. Come in, Dear.” The goat lady stepped inside, leaving the way open for Harry to follow. 

Grinning, Harry couldn’t help but find Toriel’s energy infectious. She just had so much warmth to her, it was very welcoming. Harry followed her in the house, finding a very nicely decorated foyer. There was a staircase going down, probably into some kind of cellar or basement, with a hallway to the right and a living room to the left. 

The air held a spicy sent to it, warm and aromatic, giving the house an even more welcoming homely vibe. “Do you smell that?” Toriel stood next to the stairs, almost blocking the way down, grinning from ear to ear. “Surprise! It’s a cinnamon-butterscotch pie. I want you to have a nice time while you are here, so I held off on snail pie for now.” 

Harry was a bit amazed at the monster. When did she have time to make pie? Would she have left him in that room this entire time to make pie while he sat around and waited? Monsters were such an odd bunch. “Oh, uh, Thanks a lot Toriel. You didn’t have to, but it does smell amazing. Though, I’m curious now where you got cinnamon and butterscotch...” Harry decided not to dwell on the mechanics of Monsters acquiring groceries.

Toriel looked so happy at the compliment, clasping her hands together in front of her. “I’m so glad you like it, Dear. This is good, because, I have another surprise. Follow me.” Toriel turned and walked down the hallway on the right, stopping at the first door. “This is it. It’s a room all for you. It hasn’t seen much use in a while, and it might be a tight fit, but I hope you’ll be comfortable here.” Toriel seemed to want to reach out and touch Harry, but refrained with a sad smile. 

Harry looked at the plain wood door with a small end table and flowers next to it with a bit of trepidation. It was nice to have somewhere to rest but Toriel offered the room like Harry would be staying for longer then a night at most. He hoped this didn’t turn into something crazy, that he’s just imagining it. “Oh, thank you so much Toriel. It’ll be nice to rest a bit, the Ruins are a little longer then I thought when I started.”

Toriel looked like she would have said more but the sweet scent that permeated the house turned a bit smokey. “Oh, is something burning..? Ah, Dear, make yourself at home here. I’ll be right back!” The monster hurried back they way they came and into the living room. The kitchen was probably past it. 

Harry was left standing in the hallway, wondering on just what to do. Curiosity led him into the bedroom, Gaster floating behind him. It was a child's bedroom, complete with clothing, a box of various shoes, and toys in various states of use. The bed was small but still better then a cot or the ground. Harry shrugged out of his grey jacket and gingerly sat on the bed. The mattress was old but very soft in age. “This is all too strange. I’m getting some weird feelings about this..” Harry looked to Gaster, and the skeleton looked a bit surprised at the attention. 

‘(Oh? Am I back to having friendship privileges? Can I talk to the great Harry now?)’ The voice tone was teasing but Harry could see the bit of frustration in Gaster’s face. He was the only one who could see and talk to the skeleton after all. 

“Sorry Gaster. I’m sure you wouldn’t have liked to be laugh at for being kind either.” Harry folded up his jacket and placed it on dresser next to the bed, reaching down and untying his boots. Even if this was a trap house, which Harry very much doubted, the chance to rest was too good to pass up. The transition into the Multi-verse and gaining his physical body took a lot out of Harry every time he did it. “Any opinions? Are we close to the way out of the Ruins?” 

‘(Well, Toriel is not unkind, but she does seem to be very alone. It could be hope at having a guest for a while, or someone around that she can converse more with then the average monster can. Since it was a straight pathway, more or less, to get to this point, I can only assume the exit is somewhere near, or in this house.)’ Gaster floated until he sat next to Harry, who was leaning back against the wall with a tired groan. The bed was small but if he curled up Harry could fit.

Sighing, Harry rubbed his face and glowered a bit. “Great. Which means that the Lonely Goat Lady is probably guarding the exit to the ruins. From what, I haven’t a clue, but the slight clingy attitude it a good hint. I wonder how many people have stayed in this room before me? How many kids..?” It was obvious that Toriel was used to a younger demographic around her. She was constantly checking the mothering with Harry.

‘( As far as I know, 7 humans have fallen into the underground since we have been banished here. Most of them were children below the age of 16 years. After the first, and the loss of her son Asriel, the Queen was against letting the human children who fall near the barrier. When the King, Asgore, first harvested a human soul to collect them, she became enraged and disappeared. I guess she has been here, finding the fallen human’s first and caring for them. You are just another in a long line for her, I think.)’ Gaster watched has Harry’s eyes slowly drooped, about to fall asleep slumped over, the events of the day taking their toll. 

‘(Worry about it later, though. We are safe here. Let us gather our wits and start again well rested.)’ Harry hummed sleepily in agreement, moments later asleep. Gaster couldn’t stop the chuckle. The similarity to his son, Sans, was just too much. The lazy bones could sleep standing. Toriel came into the room not too long after, spotting Harry with a soft smile. Moving to the bed, she gently guided the sleeping human into a more comfortable position then turned down the light. He could have a piece of pie when he awoke. 

Finding a safe place in a new land fills you with DETERMINATION.


	6. A conflict and a door.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry wakes up and pursues the way out of the ruins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I meant to update yesterday as well but I ended up getting distracted with a let's play of OFF. That game is hella creepy btw. So, Enjoy the longer then usual chapter :D All the support and comments, likes, and bookmarks are such a motivator to continue to write for you guys. Feel free to send me messages for anything really! I'll reply back whenever I notice. Also, If you guys have plot theories or Ideas don't hesitate to share! I love hearing them! The best compliment is someone enjoying your idea enough to think on :D Enjoy the chapter!

:Undertale:

Waking up was a bit of a slow process for Harry, body stretching over the small bed causing his feet to dang over the side. A soft groan left his lips as sore spots in his muscles stretched out in a satisfying ache. He had forgotten just how nice a physical flesh and blood body was. Pain was a reminder that he as alive after falling asleep in the child room of Toriel’s house, which could have been a bad idea. Harry didn’t really know all that much about Toriel after all, the mom vibe could have been a trick. 

His sleep had been uninterrupted however so Harry felt refreshed and ready to continue. Maybe Toriel had somewhere he could wash up, He felt a little grungy after walking through the ruins. Opening his eyes Harry looked around the dark room, finding a slice of pie on the night stand and a missing Gaster. 

Harry was a bit worried over the missing skeleton but reasoned that watching him sleep probably wasn’t all that exciting. He would probably find the skeleton in the house somewhere later. Slowly standing up, letting the blanket that had been put over him bundle on the bed, Harry stretched everything in his body. Everything felt loose and well rested. No hiccups or major muscle sprains. The last thing Harry wanted was to be slowed down by a tightening muscle. 

Finding his folded jacket he drapes it over his arm and picks up the piece of pie. Taking a bite Harry couldn’t help but hum in delight. It tasted fantastic, just the right amount of spices and texture. It didn’t take long to eat the whole slice. Not the best breakfast but it took the hunger edge off. 

Dirty plate and jacket in hand Harry left the room, heading towards the living room. He found Toriel sitting in a large armchair reading a book, with glasses on, next to a burning fireplace. The room was warm and cozy, the faint smell of baking still in the air. Toriel looked up when he walked in, giving him a warm smile. 

“Up already? Oh, I see you’ve eaten the pie. I’m glad you liked it.” Toriel put her book down a bit, giving Harry her full attention. “Yes, it was quite delicious. Thank you for the surprise. Where should I put this?” Harry gestured with the plate in his hand. Toriel pointed to a doorway behind her. “The kitchen is in there, Dear. Don’t worry about cleaning up, I’ll take care of it. You just relax and enjoy yourself.” Toriel hummed, going back to her reading as Harry walked past her to the indicated door. 

Inside was a small kitchen, still smelling of the pie which was sitting on the counter, which held only a fridge, sink, and oven. Harry placed the plate in the sink and curiously turned on the tap. Running water was promising, maybe a shower would in his future. Turning back the way he came, Harry went and stood next to Toriel. The monster looked up at him with a patient smile. “Anything else you need, Dear?” 

Harry smiled back, waving a hand over his body and dirty clothing. “I was just wondering if you might have somewhere I can wash up? Sleeping in my dirty clothing probably didn’t do me any favors.” 

Toriel looked a bit surprised, then blushed as she stood up. “Oh my goodness, I am so sorry! That should have been my first priority when you arrived, Dear. Please, follow me.” Harry gratefully followed the monster back down the hallway, passing the bedroom he had slept in, and past another door to the end of the hallway. There was a boarded up room to the left but the end of the hallway had another door directly ahead. Opening it revealed a small bathroom with a stand in shower. 

“Hot water isn’t something I have in abundance, so I’m sorry that it will be a quick wash up. I’ll get you something to change into while you are in the shower.” Toriel turned to go back down the hallway, leaving Harry in the bathroom. 

“Thank you, Toriel!” Harry was glad to have the opportunity to get clean, finding some towels in the cabinet under the sink. Running the water in the shower took a bit to warm up giving Harry time to strip out of the dirty clothing. It was the first time he could see the body beneath, as well as his face since the sink had a mirror above it. 

His body was pasty pale, looking a bit gaunt. Harry could see his ribs in the skin just a bit, as well as his hip bones. Thankfully the only scars he could see were the ones Harry had already seen before and he didn’t have any wounds. There were a couple small bruises on his legs from his fall into a pit but nothing too major. 

The mirror revealed the major changes he’d felt before, starkly showing him the scars across his eyes. The shaved part of his head started at the scar and wrapped around his ear. Really, if he shaved the other side, it would probably create a mohawk of some sort if his hair was any longer. It didn’t look completely horrible and hopefully the hair would grow back in. 

Harry placed his dirty clothing next to the door and stepped into the stand in shower, closing the door and sighing at the hot water running down his body. Finding soap in the shower, but no shampoo, had Harry to start scrubbing the dirt from his body. It ended up just making his skin look more pale. 

Harry heard the bathroom door open, obscured by the foggy shower door, followed by the sound of cloth being moved. “I’ll have these washed for you in no time, Dear. Take your time.” The door closed again before Harry could respond, leaving him to his shower. 

Finishing up before the hot water could run out, Harry stepped out of the shower, only immediately to jump back in with a startled yelp. Gaster was sitting on the sink with a concerned look. 

“Jesus, fucking, Gaster! What are you doing?!” Harry quickly shut the door, blushing heavily, obscuring his view of Gaster’s confused face. The skeleton hadn’t made any noise letting Harry know he had come into the bathroom and he’d stepped out naked without a thought, thinking himself alone. So embarrassing. 

‘(Harry, now is not the time for this. I am sorry for embarrassing you, and you like fine by the way, but we have much to talk about. I took a look around the house while you were asleep and I found the exit. It’s hidden beneath the house in the basement.)’ Gaster sounded completely unperturbed to have seen Harry naked. 

“Gaster, while this is all so fascinating, I’m kind of naked in here. Can’t this wait until, I don’t know, I’ve gotten some clothing on? Holy Merlin...” Harry put a hand on his chest, willing his heart to slow down. The jump scare got him pretty good. Cracking the door to the shower a tiny bit Harry looked out to see Gaster still on sink. Reaching out, Harry quickly snatched a towel and closed the door again.

‘(I fail to see why you can’t multitask and dress yourself while we talk. I’m part of you Harry, your body is mine as well, there is no need to be shy. Anyway, Toriel seems to have locked the door to the rest of the Underground but thankfully the way to unlock it is on this side of the door. We should be able to leave without incident. The only problem is if Toriel will let us leave.)’

Harry sighed loudly, drying off his body efficiently, listening to the Skeleton. Gaster wasn’t wrong, they were technically in the same body. It was just.. weird, with Gaster being a separate apparition outside of the body. It was a hard instinct to break, modesty in front of others, especially with a brand new body. Shaking his head Harry bit the bullet and stepped out the shower, towel around his waist, looking for the clothing Toriel left him. 

“We are still separate in minds. I really don’t want to walk into a room and see you in nothing but bones. Why wouldn’t Toriel let us leave? She’s been very accommodating so far. She might be a little upset in losing someone to talk to but I’m sure we can explain why we have to move on.” Harry looked at the clothing left for him, finding a soft pair of sweat pants with a red and black plaid pattern and plenty of pockets, a long sleeve black shirt with a hood, white socks, and a pale blue t-shirt with black stripe across it. His dragon hide boots were still on the floor, as well as his grey coat. Looks like he would be going commando until his underwear were cleaned. The ribbon that had been inside his jean pocket was on top of the pile. 

‘(I am unsure if I can undress as an incorporeal apparition. While I do agree that Toriel is a lovely, caring woman, not once has she mentioned anything about seeing you home or to another destination. She fully expects you to stay here. The door is locked not to keep us in, but to keep the other Monsters out. She means to keep us from meeting the royal guard or King Asgore, who will want our soul to help break the barrier. This would, of course, mean the death of our body.)' Gaster watched as Harry turned around to put on the borrowed clothing. Some of it hung a bit baggy in places, as if meant for someone with a more robust body figure, but all in all wasn’t too short. 

“Well, I can see how she would want to protect any kids who fell down here. I certainly wouldn’t want to send a 10 year old out into that kind of situation, but I am an adult. I can make decisions and handle myself. I’m sure we can convince her to let us out.” Harry hummed softly, tying his boots back up and tying his grey jacket around his waist for now. With the 2 shirt combo he was wearing Harry would be warm enough for inside. 

Opening the door to the bathroom Harry stepped out, expecting Gaster to follow him, and headed back down the hallway. His curiosity had him peaking into the only other door he could open, finding a cozy room that looked like it was Toriel’s. ‘(If you think that is the best course of action, then by all means ask her about the door. I’ll keep any judgment until after, but I will keep an ‘I told you so’ at the ready.)' Gaster had a distinctly unimpressed expression as Harry snooped through the room, find a journal and well worn books. 

It seems Toriel hadn’t been joking about the snail pie either, if the pail of snails was any indication. Harry made sure not to disturb anything in the room, stepping back out and closing the door. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, Gaster. You are truly the greatest of friends.” Rolling his eyes, Harry headed back to the living room, finding Toriel were he had last seen her. 

She looked up when he entered, a pleased smile coming to her face. “I’m glad the clothing fits, I wasn’t sure if you would be tall enough for them. I’ll have your other clothing ready in a few hours. Feel free to look around, my home is yours.” Toriel turned back to her book with a satisfied hum, missing the look of uncertainty and concern that crossed Harry’s face. 

Collecting that gryffindor courage, Harry stepped closer to the monster and gently placed his hand on her book. “Actually Toriel, I have a few questions, If you’ll answer them?” The goat lady seemed surprised at the question but put the book down. Taking her glasses off Toriel gave Harry a patient smile. 

“Of course, Dear. I love teaching new things and it’s just wonderful to have someone here with me. What do you need to ask me?” Toriel looked patiently at Harry, who floundered a bit at question. This was going to be a bit tougher then expected but Harry refused to give Gaster the satisfaction of being right. He’d just have to approach this carefully. 

“This is quite the lovely place. Is the ruins all there is here? I mean, we are under a mountain range, right? I can see there being quite a few secrets here.” Harry tried not to go straight into the question of leaving, wanting to coax Toriel into letting him out, but his question seemed to make the monster tense and nervous. 

“Oh, well, Dear, I’m not sure if you’ve gone everywhere in the Ruins. There could be places to explore for you yet. You are more then welcome to go outside at any time of course. I’m sure there are plenty of friends you could make.” Toriel tried to give Harry an innocent look, failing to cover the nervous energy she held. 

Harry kept himself from frowning at the answer, trying to find the best way to approach the subject. “Well, I’m sure all the monsters here are very kind, but that’s not quite what I mean. There must be an entrance or exit right? Besides the large pit I arrived in? Are their more monsters here?” 

Toriel seemed to clam right up at the question, refusing to speak a few moments, before standing up from her chair. “Ah, right. I apologize for misunderstanding. Won’t you excuse me a moment? I have something to do. Why don’t you wait right here and I can answer more questions when I return?” Toriel put her book and glasses on the chair before stepping around Harry towards the door to the hallway. 

“Toriel? What are you doing?” Harry followed after the monster, watching her briskly move towards the stairs and step down them quickly, giving Harry a look of pleading. “Please, stay up here, Dear.” 

Harry only gave the goat lady a few moments head start out of surprise before cursing and quickly running after her, dashing down the stairs. Gaster followed behind him with a smug smile, unconcerned. ‘(I told you so.)’ 

“Shut up Gaster.” Harry found himself in a long, shadowy hallway. It seemed to go deeper into the earth. Running along with little concern for the darkness Harry quickly caught up with the goat lady. She was walking towards a light further down which seemed to be flickering. 

Toriel seemed to hear him coming because she slowly stopped walking, but didn’t turn around. Harry stopped just behind her. “Every human who has come down here meets the same fate. I have seen it time and time again. They come. They leave. They die. If you leave the ruins into the rest of the Underground.. They.. Asgore.. Will kill you. I’m only protecting you from the same fate, do you understand? Please, don’t stop me.” 

Toriel started walking again quickly before Harry could respond, causing Harry to start jogging after her again. “Please, Toriel. Wait. What are you doing? I know you think you are doing what you think is the right thing here, but I’m not a kid that needs protecting!”

The flickering light turned out to be another chamber with torches on the wall, revealing a doorway marked with the symbols Harry had seen everywhere. This was the locked door Gaster had talked about earlier, the door into the Underground. Toriel was facing the door, hands clasped in front of her, while Harry stood near the doorway. 

“I know.. I know you aren’t like the other humans who have come here but... Do you really want to leave that badly?” Toriel sounded so sad, so defeated, that Harry almost didn’t response, his own heart feeling empathy for the monster. It couldn’t be easy living like this. 

“It’s not that I want to leave.. I have to leave. I made a promise to a friend. I can’t just abandon that promise and stay here.” Harry stepped a bit closer, hoping that Toriel wouldn’t do anything drastic. 

“Hmph... You are just like the others.. There is always a reason to leave.. A reason to leave me and charge into certain death.. There can be only one solution to this.” Toriel turned around, the expression of resignation and determination on her face. “Prove to me... Prove to me you are strong enough to survive.”

The room seemed to dim as the torches flickered, a sudden surge of magic in the air as Toriel stood resolutely in front of the door. Harry stiffened at the oppressive atmosphere, but stood his ground. Something in his chest seemed to throb at the magic in the air, pulsing in his core. He had never felt anything like this before. 

‘(Harry, you must be careful. A monsters attack doesn't affect the physical body like you would expect. It will damage your soul far more. Please, be careful.)’ Harry gasped as the magic seemed to press on him, urging him into action. Toriel stood resolutely in front of the door, waiting for him to act. 

“Toriel, please.. We don’t have to fight. Wasn’t it you who told me that conflict doesn’t need to resort to violence?” The monster seemed to waiver slightly but stood firm, raising her arms and summoning flames. The same flames that had been used on Flowey. 

“I am sorry but the Underground will not care for talking. Now fight me or run away!” Toriel hurled the flames at him and Harry cursed as he dodged to the side to escape them. The heat was worse then the magic, causing him to sweat and gasp for a fresh breath. 

Harry did not want to hurt Toriel. She was such a sweet, kind woman. He only needed to get her to let him go. “I won’t do that Toriel. I need to move forward. If I could, I would stay here but I can’t break my promise. Please understand!” Harry continued to dodge the flames, panting with exertion and trying not to let his clothing be set on fire. As the fight wore on Toriel began to slow as well, making the flames easier to dodge, growing frustrated. 

“Attack me! Fight back or go away!” Toriel seemed tired, emotionally taxed and her attacks were slowly fading. Harry stumbled a bit in exhaustion but thankfully barely avoided taking a flame ball to the chest. 

“I can’t do that Toriel. Please, you know why I can’t.” Harry looked pleadingly at the monster, face dripping in sweat and legs shaking. His body wasn’t nearly as fit as he would like. 

“I know you want to go.. I know you have a promise but..” The flames slowly flickered out leaving a scorched room with two tired individuals on either side. “We can live here in peace. I know there is not much but... Why do you have to make this difficult?” Toriel’s voice was filled with frustration and sadness. 

Harry straightened a bit, using his shirt to wipe a bit of sweat from his face. His hair was probably sticking up worse the usual now. “I really am sorry Toriel. I know it much be hard for you to live here alone, with only the rare human to fall into that pit, but I can’t stay. It is wonderful here, and I know I’ll miss your kindness and good heart, but I’m not helpless. I refuse to hurt you.” 

Toriel seemed to wilt at Harry’s words before letting out a soft, sad laugh. “Heh.. heh.. pathetic, isn’t it..? I can’t even save one human...” The monster straighten up, putting on an encouraging face to cover the doubt and sadness. “I.. I do understand.. You would just become unhappy here. The ruins are small, once you are used to them, and you would miss your friends and family.. I cannot see you breaking a promise, even for me.. Even for yourself..” 

Toriel seemed to smile, a brittle expression, stepping away from the door she had been protecting. “My expectations... My loneliness... My fear... I will put them aside. If you really want to leave the Ruins I cannot stop you, but, please know that if you leave, I cannot let you come back. Please understand.” 

Harry couldn’t let this monster suffer anymore and stepped up to her, reaching his arms out and gently hugging the woman. Toriel seemed to stiffen, like she hadn’t expected the contact, before soft fluffy arms returned the hug. “Thank you Toriel, for letting me do this. I know it must be hard. I can’t thank you enough for what you have done for me.” 

Toriel seemed to shake, hugging him tighter before slowly letting him go and stepping back out of his arms. The smile was a bit more real this time, Toriel nodding and moving to the entrance to the room, freeing the path to the locked doorway. “It’s alright, Dear.”

Harry gave the woman a sad smile before turning to the door. It seemed there was truly no way to go but forward. He was going to miss the kind monster, and his Gryffindor sweater. Oh well. Finding the lock in the door Harry turned it open and pushed, the heavy stone door rumbling open. Stepping through put Harry into another long purple hallway which seemed a bit brighter then the one he just left. The door swung closed behind him and the solid click signaled the lock had been reengaged. There would be no turning back. 

Turning to look beside him, Harry gave an uncertain smile to Gaster hovering next to him. The skeleton was unusually somber after watching his fight with Toriel, having stayed out of the room during the conflict. “Well, my friend, I guess we found our way out. I wonder if this goes to Snowdin?” Harry stepped off away from the door, heading down the long corridor ahead of him. 

‘(There is only one way to find out, Harry.)’

Stepping onto the long road ahead towards a new hope fills you with DETERMINATION.


	7. A snowy forest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry finds himself in the snowy forests in the company of a new friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, I wrote a new chapter! We are finally getting into the part I was looking so much forward to. This will be where the plot starts deviating from the game's storyline. Enjoy!

:Undertale:

The hallway beyond the locked Ruins door was very long. It seemed to brighten the further Harry got down the pathway. His body ached, some parts of his skin a red tenderness from exposure to the heat from Toriel’s attacks. It stung a bit like a sunburn. Thankfully all of his clothing was intact, if wet with sweat. It was starting to get a little bit uncomfortable in the chilly subterranean pathway. Pulling the grey jacket from around his waist Harry pulled it on over his black sweater, keeping the hood over his head so it wouldn’t get bundled beneath the coat, and buttoned it up to help keep the chill at bay. His hands slipped into the coat pockets, finding the forgotten spider donut. 

“Well, the temperature is going down steadily, so our odds look good for this pathway to take us to Snowdin.” Harry kept him feet moving, unsure of why he felt so tired. The battle had been a bit rough but he hadn’t been awake all that long. It felt like all his energy had been drained.

‘(This is good news. Once we get to Snowdin we can take the Ferryperson to Hotland and get into my lab. So far I have not seen anything that could be causing the anomaly.)’ Gaster’s voice was even, covering up his concern for Harry. It had been a first true encounter with monster magic and it seemed to be effecting Harry more intensely then a human should. Monsters were much more sensitive to magic then humans, feeling through their entire being as they were made of soul and magic. 

“Thank Merlin. I feel a little off, Gaster... Toriel’s magic was so... tumultuous. I could feel it pressing on me..” Harry kept a shiver in, remembering the oppressive choking cling of Toriel’s magic. It scorched with heat but clung to Harry, trying to keep him from moving, keep him from leaving. Magic here was much more then just an energy, it seemed. 

‘(It seems your own energy is feeling the affects of foreign magic latching onto your own. Don’t worry, it won’t keep for long. Usually monsters who battle do not directly attack the soul unless they intend to assault the soul or use magic to control the flow of battle. It’s considered rude to linger on a Soul.)’ Gaster took a moment to look over Harry, already seeing the traces of Toriel’s magic dissipating. Harry would be fine.

“That’s good. I’d rather like to avoid feeling that again if possible. Dealing with my own emotions is bad enough, let alone dealing with some..one.. else’s..?” Harry trailed off as the pair reached the end of the hallway, which let out into another huge dark cavern. The patches of light reaches here too from cracks in the ceiling and a familiar yellow color sat in the middle of one. Hadn’t Toriel set that aggressive plant on fire..? 

Harry stepped cautiously towards the yellow flower, feet quiet, but it seemed to hear him coming anyway somehow. The flower turned towards him, odd face blank, before it broke into a huge smile. “Well, well well, You think you’re so clever, don’t you?”

The flower seemed to grow a bit, a sinister edge coming to the smile. “In this world, it’s kill or be killed. You think you can just play by your own rules by sparing their lives?” Flowey’s face turned innocent, forming into something that looked vaguely like Toriel’s. “You must feel great, right? You got all the way here and you didn’t even have to kill anyone.”

The face turned sinister again, the leaves and vines from the flower growing some thorns and sharp edges. “What will you do if you meet a relentless killer I wonder? I bet you’ll die, and die, and die, until you get tired of trying.” The flower seemed to laugh, though it sounded off, like the rustling of leaves scratching together. 

“Will you kill then, out of frustration? Or finally leave this world and let me inherit the power to control it?!” Harry had been half-listening to the deranged flower, more concerned with the last remaining traces clinging to his magic, until the speech had ramped up into this. The power to control it? Over and over? What was this pest talking about?

“I am the prince of this worlds future! But don’t worry, I.. what are you doing?” The flower seemed to finally notice a change in the human he had been monologuing at. Harry was laser focused on the flower, unaware that his eyes had started to bleed black wisps of energy. 

“I’m sorry but I didn’t catch that. Did you say the power to control this world? I don’t believe we have ever met before now, but you seem to think I have some sort of power in this Underground.” Harry slowly stalked towards the flower, which was very confused by this point, looming over the yellow bud. The black seemed to seep across his eyes, an aura of danger surrounding him. 

“Don’t.. Don’t play dumb human! You may be older then the first time but we’ve both been here before! You just couldn’t stay away. Playing with our lives once wasn’t enough for you, huh?!” The flower seemed to tremble at the black aura seeping from the human, unable to comprehend just where this level of magic was coming from, but not willing to back down. 

“Before? So we did not enter a fresh splinter. This one has already looped once, but, no one should remember it. Loops erase any paradox information to conserve the timelines integrity. But you... You remember, little flower.” Harry reached down quickly, snatching the flower around the stem just below the bud, catching it before the terrified Flowey could sink back into the ground. Tendrils of black energy was oozing off Harry now, reacting instinctively to his emotions. “I have found my anomaly.” 

“Get off me! Let me go, you crazy human!” The flower thrashed in the hand holding it, vines erupting from the ground and stabbing towards Harry. They were met by the black seeping tendrils and instantly shredded to pieces, causing Flowey to scream in pain. 

‘(Careful, Harry. We need it alive if it’s going to tell us anything. Control yourself.)’ Gaster’s voice broke through the focus in Harry’s mind, letting a bit of his green eyes bleed back into the black void. With a bit of finesse the seeping tendrils followed the vines into the earth and viciously ripped Flowey out of the earth, wrapping around the roots and keeping him from growing more vines. 

The flower screamed in surprise and pain, trembling in the black void magic, face vicious. “You idiot! You plucked me! You could have killed me! Are you insane?!” Harry hummed thoughtfully, looking around for anything to plant Flowey into. It would get a little tedious to hold it in his magic for long. Already he could feel the exhaustion creeping back into his body. 

“I am here to fix the time loops. Whoever you were expecting to be here isn’t coming. It seems I have disrupted the flow of this splinter. Since you were talking of inheriting the power I am going to assume that you no longer control the splintering, but, you know what it causing them. I’m going to need your.... assistance.” The cavern seemed to be empty except for the cracks of sunlight and patches of grass, but a bit of exploration found Harry a pair of discarded red running shoes. Not ideal, but it would have to do. 

“Like I would ever help you! You’d be better off trying to convince the smiley trash bag to help you, if he could get off his lazy butt for more then a minute. There’s nothing in it for me, so why don’t you just die now and give me my power!” The flower hissed angrily and spawned the familiar white bullets, launching them at his head. They smacked harmlessly into a tendril, absorbing into the magic without any damage. 

Harry ignored the angry flower, scooping some of the dislodged dirt into the shoe then lodging the uproot flower into it. The yellow bud continued to hiss angrily and shoot white pellets at him through the entire process, like a wet cat. “Well, unfortunately for you, I’m not giving you much choice. It seems to be that, quite frankly, your something of an unlikable asshole. I highly doubt anyone’s going to object to me taking you with me.” 

Satisfied with himself Harry lifted the shoe in his hand, black magic seeping away as the flower tired itself out. It looked wilted, frowning almost a pout, looking anywhere but at Harry’s face. “You’re... different.. then Frisk. This isn’t going the same way at all..” The flower seemed sad at this fact. 

“You’re right, I’m not Frisk. I seem to have introduced myself as Harry the last time we met. And you are Flowey, the soulless result of a failed experiment which didn’t have all the variables. I do believe we can mutually help each other in this situation. You help me fix this time mess, and I’ll get you your soul. Deal?” Harry sighed softly, feeling the drain even more now after his magic had seeped out of him instinctively. He had hoped to explore what his magic was like in this Multi-verse before having to use it in a confrontation but what could he do but go with it. 

‘(Can you truly give him a soul? I know there are human souls here but a monster possessing a human soul it much too powerful.)’ Gaster had watched the entire interaction, and Harry’s magic, with the eye of a scientist. Both beings had failed to realize that Harry’s aura was more then just a black colored magic, and was instead laced with energy from the void. It would be impossible to truly block any attack made with that kind of magic. Harry could rip the timelines from the very seams of the multi-verse if he tried. 

“Nice try, idiot. You don’t think I’ve tried getting a soul? And don’t think you know me just because you’ve read my file or something. I don’t know how you know any of that human but I won’t help you. I’ll just wait for you to die and reset and do things all over again. Just like Frisk.” The flower cackled sharply, which looked kid of ridiculous from a red running shoe in Harry’s hand. 

“I always keep my word, Flowey. I can get you your soul. They all return to the timeline after all, and with you in this state it anchors it to this timeline. It will be simple to trace the void until I find it. All I ask is your cooperation. Once I’ve fixed the timelines I’ll take care of you as well. Agreed?” Harry looked towards where the exit might be, finding another large stone door. This one was locked from the inside as well, for extra insurance from an outside intrusion Harry supposed. 

The flower seemed to pause in the shoe, looking up in confusion at Harry, before giving another sinister grin. “Fine, I’ll give you want you want. A soul is a soul, and this is much more interesting then the previous time anyway. The kid just wanted to get out, but you? You’re more messed up then I am.” The flower cackled as Harry shook his head, unlocking the stone door and giving it a push. It was a bit harder to open then the other one, the reason why apparent by the build up of snow around the door, and Harry slipped through as soon as he had enough room too. 

It wasn’t that cold in this area, really just cold enough to form snow, but Harry was grateful for the extra jacket now. His boots were also a blessing, keeping his feet dry from the snow that clung to everything. 

‘(Ah, very good. Snowdin can’t be too far. We are fortunate to find the flower on our way. While it is no longer responsible for the splinters it seems to have knowledge of it. Maybe even previous experience. The cracks started before the child’s intervention, after all.’) Harry hummed, nodding in agreement with Gaster as he started trudging through the snow. It would be best not to answer out loud with Flowey in company. 

“Thank you for cooperating. Well, my new flower friend, do you know how far it is to the riverperson? We need to get to Hotland.” On either side of the pathway was large barren trees, which harry decided to ignore in impossibility of, with branches and detritus falling onto the pathway. He stepped over a particularly large branch on his path. 

“What, don’t know your way? I thought you knew everything!” Flowey grinned maliciously, leaves curling in delight. It would enjoy taunting and teasing the human. This was the first time the human had ever taken, well kidnapped, it with them. “I’ll be generous this time. You’ve got a long way to go. Have fun walking!” 

Harry shook his head, sighing at the prickly attitude, before startling with a yelp a sudden loud cracking sound behind him. He immediately turned around, eyes glowing black without his control, looking at the pulverized branch he had previously stepped over. The woods were silent.

“What the heck..?” Harry spoke quietly, black leaking away as his heart slowed. Flowey looked just at startled. It didn’t usually follow the human the whole time, just watching the major events. Usually It met back up with the human’s progress during Papyrus’ battle. This was new. 

Harry looked a bit more around into the trees before turning and starting back down the pathway. He kept his steps light, listening to the woods around him as he walked. Flowey opened it’s mouth but Harry quickly covered it’s face, shushing the flower. It was eerily silent. Harry could see a wood structure up ahead and as he got closer he could hear faint movements behind. 

He slowed down and eventually stopped in front of the wooden bars, which were really too wide to stop anything going over the bridge, listening to the sound get closer. Not one to cower away from danger Harry quickly turned and spotted what had been following him. Or, rather, who. 

‘(Sans. He looks well.)’ Gaster’s voice was soft, holding melancholy and pride. The small skeleton, who surprisingly only came up to Harry’s chest, looked a bit nonplussed at Harry seeing him. Harry blinked a bit at the perpetual skeleton grin, the skull structure a lot different to Gaster’s, as well as the fluffy pink slippers.

“Hello? Any particular reason you’re following me?” Harry was a little uncertain about this encounter. Gaster had told him that they should avoid meeting his sons, especially Sans, since they might recognize Harry’s more distinct features subconsciously. The skeleton seemed to have paused on his way towards Harry but started walking again with a bigger grin. 

“Hey Buddy, that isn’t any way to treat a new pal. Why don’t you shake my hand?” The skeleton was close enough now to draw a hand out of his hoodie and offer it to Harry. Finally, someone who gets it. 

Harry couldn’t help but grin, taking his free hand not holding Flowey and eagerly took Sans hand. Immediately a fart like sound came from their clasped hands and Harry could feel the whoopee cushion deflating against his palm. The woods were silent. 

A bark of surprised laughter came out of Harry. Really, out of everything he had expected for meeting Gaster’s sons, this wasn’t anywhere close to one of them. “A whoopee cushion??” Harry couldn’t stop himself from smiling. A prank was a prank, and Sans had gotten him good. 

The skeleton seemed to liven up as well, the grin becoming more natural as he showed off the deflated whoopee cushion in hand. “Heh.. the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. It’s always funny.” The skeleton tucks his hand back into his sweater pocket, the picture of nonchalance. 

Flowey scoffed, looking between the two ridiculously smiling beings. “You’re both idiots.” Gaster was chuckling quietly as well, seemingly unable to take his eye sockets off of Sans. 

Harry just shook his head and nudged the flower softly with a finger. “Shush, you. There is no reason to be rude.” Sans seemed to rock on his feet, looking at the exchange between human and flower, as well as the scars over Harry’s face and hands. 

“Anyway, you’re a human right?” Harry gave his attention back to Sans, nodding at the question with a bright grin. “As far as I know, though, I could be mistaken. Odder things have happened.” Shrugging, Harry places his free hand in his coat pocket to warm up, posture relaxed and open. 

“Heh, that hilarious. I always wondered what happened to Pops. I never thought He’d be turned into a human. Isn’t that right, Gaster?” The easy camaraderie seemed to disappear with Sans’ eye lights, the eye sockets turning into pools of black, the chill around them getting worse. Flowey seemed confused and looked up at Harry, only to start shaking. 

Harry really hadn’t wanted this to become a confrontation but of course Sans had to be one of the people to remember Gaster. The scientist had told him all about the accident that had sent him into the void and how Sans had been present for it. In response to Sans’ sudden hostility in the air, as apparent by the magic aura radiating from the small skeleton, Harry’s eyes had bled black once more. 

“You aren’t exactly correct, Sans. Gaster and I have a deal. My name is Harry. Your father is just... hitching a ride.” Harry kept his smile, which looked ominous with the wisps of black trailing from his eyes. He kept his relaxed, open stance, not giving anything away as the magic rose around them. 

“You think I’m going to buy that? What did you do with the kid? Where is Frisk?” A soft blue glow appeared in Sans’ right eye socket, sending out a pulse of intent. The situation was tense with intent, black tendrils clashing with blue magic, until the tension was cut with a voice. 

“SANS! WHERE ARE YOU? YOU LAZY BONES!”

‘(Papyrus.’) “Huh?” “Oh, fuck.” “Heh, you’re going to get it now trash bag!”

Finding a piece of the puzzle and meeting a potential ally fill you with DETERMINATION.


	8. A series of puns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry meets another new friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is a little late. I could have had it ready at least an hour ago but I have found out that Puns Are Hard. Like, omgosh, so many road blocks trying to write Puns. I love Sans and I love the Puns, its just that I have found that I am completely horrible of thinking of some on the spot for conversation. Hopefully, I wont have to make too many Puns going along or Chapters might take a hit lol. (JK) Enjoy the new chapter!

:Undertale: 

The atmosphere of aggression was snapped by the annoyed voice behind Harry. Mostly from surprise his grasp of his magic faded, returning his eyes to their green shade. Sans had let his blue magic fade as well and the pair did their best to look nonchalant as a taller skeleton ran towards them from across the bridge. 

Harry turned his body so he was sideways facing both skeletons, keeping a side view of Sans. He couldn’t be too careful with the older brother. Papyrus came to a halt on the other side of the bridge, seen through the too wide bars of the gate, an annoyed look on his long face. Another skeleton different than Gaster, though they were closer in body size. 

“Sup bro.” Sans greeted the taller skeleton, grin back in place while Papyrus stamped a foot in the snow across from them “YOU KNOW WHAT IT ‘SUP’ BROTHER. IT HAS BEEN EIGHT DAYS AND YOU STILL HAVEN’T RECALIBRATED YOUR PUZZLES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

Harry couldn’t help the amused smile at the tall skeleton, which was even taller then himself, at the cranky attitude. He had a feeling that this argument happened a lot with these two, since Sans didn’t seem surprised about Papyrus’ complaint. 

“Oh, well, I was just showing around my new friend.” Sans’ grin got bit sharper, daring Harry to disagree with that statement. It would be best not to let Papyrus get mixed up in this. 

“A NEW FRIEND? IS SOMEONE NEW TO SNOWDIN? WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME BROTHER?! AS A ROYAL GUARD IN TRAINING IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE NEW CITIZENS FEEL SAFE AND WELCOMED. HELLO NEW FRIEND!” The taller skeleton seemed to perk up from his annoyed expression, eager at the prospect of making a new friend. Spotting Harry standing next to Sans, Papyrus eagerly skipped over the bridge with arms outstretched. 

“LET ME BE THE FIRST TO WELCOME YOU TO SNOWDIN!” Harry was not expecting this much eager enthusiasm and was woefully under prepared for the hug given to him by the skeleton. His feet came off the ground by a few inches. For being all bones this guy sure was strong. 

“Uh, hey, pretty great to meet you too Papyrus.” The skeleton seemed to grin even more at Harry’s greeting, lifting the human higher in excitement. “WELL OF COURSE YOU ARE HONORED TO MEET ME. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL. I AM FLATTERED THAT YOU HAVE HEARD OF ME, I HAVE NOT EVEN INTRODUCED MYSELF YET.”

Harry began to sweat a bit at the slip, looking at Sans to see the smaller skeleton giving him the stink eye. He hadn’t meant to let them know he already knew more then Sans’ name this early. Oops. 

“That’s right. I was, talking with Sans about you. I thinks it great that uh.. you.. erm..” Harry struggled to find something about Papyrus that he could remember that would be believable, when Gaster came through for him. ‘(He likes to cook and watch MTT.)’ 

“That you are learning to cook! Yes, to cook. I’d love to see that, right.” Harry was glad that Papyrus was willing to let him stumble through that response. The skeleton didn’t even seem to notice the struggle however, putting Harry down to strike a triumphant pose. The red scarf behind Papyrus even started to flap in a nonexistent wind. 

“OF COURSE MY BROTHER WOULD MENTION MY FAMOUS SPAGHETTI. IT IS ONLY THE BEST IN THE UNDERGROUND. I WILL DEFINITELY COOK IT FOR YOU, BUT, THAT WILL HAVE TO WAIT. SANS! YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE WORKING! HAVE YOU EVEN DONE ANY WORK?” Papyrus turned a stern look to Sans, tapping his foot, waiting for his response. 

Harry watched the two skeletons interact curiously. He had wanted to see the brothers for himself after Gaster had described the pair to him and it was not a disappointment. 

“Hey, I’ve gotten a ton of work done today. A Skele-ton.” Sans gave a wink at the pun, while both Papyrus and Harry groaned at it. Papyrus scolded his brother for the pun while Harry just grinned at the smaller skeleton. “Weaaaaak.” Harry whispered. That pun was obviously over-used. 

“You are all idiots!” came suddenly from the flower in his hand. Flowey looked a bit miffed to be left out of the conversation. Papyrus jumped a bit at the sudden voice, before perking up at seeing the flower. 

“FLOWEY, I HAVEN’T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE FRIEND. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THAT SHOE?” Papyrus looked a bit confused at the situation, while both Harry and Sans were surprised the skeleton even knew the flower. Sans’ eye lights slowly disappeared at the thought of what the homicidal flower could have been doing with Papyrus, while Harry decided to defuse the situation. 

“Oh, you know Flowey, Papyrus? This is my new friend too. They are going to help me with a.. project. In Hotland.” Harry placed his hand over the flower so it couldn’t interject again. The situation with Sans had been rough to begin with, Harry didn’t need to add brother endangerment to the list. 

“A PROJECT? ARE YOU GOING TO DOCTOR ALPHYS FOR HELP? SHE IS EXCELLENT AT SCIENCE! I AM SURE SHE WILL BE OF GREAT HELP. DO NOT LET ME HOLD YOU UP AND HAVE A SAFE JOURNEY TO SNOWDIN! AND YOU, SANS, SHOULD GET BACK TO YOUR STATION. WHAT IF A HUMAN WERE TO COME THROUGH HERE? YOU KNOW I MUST CAPTURE A HUMAN. WE CAN’T LET ANY SLIP PAST THE GREAT PAPYRUS! NYEHEHEHEH!” And with a happy cackle the tall skeleton was off down the pathway, running with a skip. It was strangely endearing. 

The group left behind was silent for a moment, watching Papyrus disappear into the distance, before Harry turned to Sans with a questioning look. “He... Had no idea I was a human, did he?” Sans seemed to sigh through his boney smile, shrugging. “My bro has never seen a human before. Im not surprised he thought you were a monster, because, he couldn’t have been more correct.” 

The tension was back now that Papyrus was out of view, the blue glow returning. “if you think im letting you leave that spot before you answer every question I have, then your gunna have a bad time.” 

Harry contemplated being stubborn and refusing the Skeleton, making this into some sort of epic showdown of battle prowess and wits, but He really couldn’t be bothered. It wasn’t worth the time. “You say that like I wasn’t going to say yes. Not too sure about the hostility there, Champ. You really seem pretty insistent on the show of magical force. It’s really, Eye-catching.” 

Harry couldn’t help himself, face splitting into a satisfied grin. Oh, it was on. Flowey gagged mockingly in his hand while Gaster face palmed. ‘(Oh stars, please don’t make this an excruciating battle of bad puns..)’ 

The smaller skeleton seemed frozen in place, like the fact that Harry had made a pun at him just didn’t compute with reality. The human knew that Gaster wasn’t one for puns. Really, it was fairly easy to see that Gaster quite disliked puns, the fact was that Sans exploited that dislike in both his Father and Brother for some good laughs. 

“Did.. did you just.. make a pun?” Sans seemed to be having a bit of trouble placing Gaster and Pun-making in the same reality. Harry couldn’t help but grin wider. “Oh? You didn’t like my pun? I thought it would, tickle your funny bone.” Flowey groaned in dismay, then proceeded to try and climb out of the shoe. 

“I’m not helping you do shit if you continue to torture me with bad puns!” Harry chuckled and quickly caught the squirming flower, keeping it from trying to climb down his arm with vines.

Sans seemed to recover a bit, blue magic having faded at the surprise of hearing Harry make a pun, smile spreading wider in a more natural expression. “oh no, that pun was really Sansational. I probably couldn’t do better, tibia honest.” 

Flowery screamed in outrage while Harry burst out laughing. Gaster had sunk to the ground behind him, seemingly trying to phase into the ground to escape. It wasn’t working. 

“I’d think you’d be quite humerus! A real Comic Sans.” The two jokers burst into uproarious laughter, unable to keep it in anymore. Harry almost dropped Flowey when the plant bit his thumb in retaliation. Gaster was laying face down, having given up on life. 

“heh.. I’d never thought I’d hear Gaster ever make a pun like that.. it’s definitely left me breath-less.” The two calmed down to just small chuckles, Harry dislodging Flowey from his thumb. 

“I told you, My name is Harry. Gaster is just ghosting along for a ride. He’s currently trying to get the dirt to swallow him to end his torment. He can be such a drama bones.” Harry toed Gaster in his side, indicating to Sans where the incorporeal skeleton was laying down. “We are completely different personalities. You could say we are of, two minds?” 

“STOP, Oh my fucking stars! Just kill me already, stop the torture!” Flowey shrieked and flailed, face morphed in an angry fanged frown with red eyes. 

“Heh... you need to relax, dude. Let’s just all chill out.” Sans laughed over the angry hisses the flower gave him, while Harry kept the flower from attacking the Skeleton. “Alright, Alright. We’ll stop. No need to get violent here.” Harry prodded the flower until it went back into its neutral face. 

“so.. Gaster is really just, inside you..? It was never proven if a human could hold a monster’s SOUL. Then again, this isn’t exactly the typical situation, huh?” Sans slumped back into a relaxed pose again, white eye-lights looking Harry over. “You really have his distinct features...”

Harry hummed, looking at the bite mark on his thumb curiously. It only barely broke the skin, wasn’t even bleeding anymore, so he dismissed it as minor. “Oh, not the typical situation in the slightest. It would probably be a lot different if I as just holding onto Gaster’s soul for him. That was the original plan.”

Harry looked down at the skeleton laying in the dirt, looking for permission to give up this secret. Gaster rolled over and looked up at him nonchalantly, like he hadn’t just trying to become one with the Underground. ‘(It is your decision Harry, If you think it will help us, then go ahead. It is the truth after all.)’

Nodding to himself, Harry looked up at Sans with a completely straight face, serious time look. Sans seemed to straighten, seemingly knowing something important was being imparted to him. “No, It all became a little complicated when the Void merged us together. It was really quite excruciating.” 

A moment of silence.

“Uh.. what?” Came from Sans.

“What did you just say? You don’t even have your own soul?? What the fuck?” was the response from Flowey. 

Harry just grinned like it was all a joke, shrugged, then held out his hand in front of his chest. “You really need to see to believe I think.” Wide eye-sockets watched as the soul emerged from Harry’s chest. It looked nothing like a Human’s soul.

It was grey like a monster soul, with black oozing cracks and seemed attached the body with black tendrils of magic. The only thing matching a human’s SOUL was that the heart was facing up instead of down. Even then, it seemed to twitch and jerk like it might flip over at any moment. 

“Wow, I was kidding when I said you were more fucked up then me, but this takes all the fucked up awards. All of them.” Flowey was staring at the disfigured soul like it might eat him. Sans just looked blankly at it, like it might be a huge joke after all if he just waited long enough. 

“You.. You can’t be human.. That’s.. It’s a tumor around... Around Gaster’s soul. What the hell are you?!” Harry was actually surprised to see Sans lose his cool. He really thought the small skeleton had more apathy, that it would take more to break through it. 

The opportunity was just too perfect. 

“What am I? Well, I suppose the best answer to that would be....” 

Black oozed over his body, transforming Harry into a mix between his Void form and his physical one, soul seeping back into his chest, the grey heart looking like it was almost trying to escape the black tendrils keeping it hostage. Flowey flinched back at the transformation, whimpering in fear at being so close to the feel of the Void. Sans looked about ready to teleport away, eye-sockets wide with astonishment, confusion, and fear. 

“I’m the Master of Death and Void, the ruler of existence, the keeper of the multi-realm and overseer of balance.” Harry’s voice had dropped into an echo, speaking but only heard a fraction of a second later. Gaster looked on from the ground, arms folded over his chest. 

‘(So dramatic..)’ 

“we are so dead...” was the weak response from the cowering flower in Harry’s hand.

Harry cackled loudly, black tendrils snaking from near his feet and across the ground, the scars on his face and hands oozing black, while he grinned wide enough to bare his teeth. “Oh, don’t be afraid. I’m not going to kill anyone. After all, I made a promise to fix this Multi-verse. In my former life I was known as the Human, Harry Potter, but since I have come into being as this form I prefer a much more fitting name. You may call me..” Harry paused for dramatic effect, grin turning cheerily creepy. “... Daddy.” 

Seeing your new friends cower before you in the ultimate practical joke fills you with DETERMINATION.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'cackled madly' I couldn't resist! Like, I swear I'm writing a super serious fic you guys but, I can't. These are the joke people, making jokes. This is my sense of humor. This chapter is your warning of jokes to come heehehee.


	9. Secrets are told

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry can't keep a straight face through his joke but seems to have gotten a bit closer Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright! So after writing the first chapter for my new fic Come and Play With Me I felt better to write some more serious stuff. I think it might be a little bit shorter but I hit a good place to stop :D I might flip flop back and forth between my two fics if there is interest in both but I do plan on continuing this fic as much as I can :> Enjoy!

:Undertale:

The forest of Snowdin was silent. 

Harry tried, really he did, to keep a straight face, but the combination of fear, confusion, and incredulous on Sans and Flowey’s faces just couldn’t be a better reaction. It was just too good. 

Cracking up, Harry lost control of his magic a bit, the shadows withering until it was just his human body with withered looking skin on his hands and face, with his scars and eyes glowing a purple black. He was laughing so hard that he was tearing up a little, wiping away the purple tinged water. 

“You should have seen your faces! Priceless!” Harry was almost bent over, holding his stomach as the laughter got a little painful. It was good that he didn’t really need to breath it seems or he would have passed out from lack of oxygen a while ago. 

Flowey was still in his hand and he was reminded of this fact when little white pellets assaulted his arm. “You idiot! Why would you do that?! It’s not funny!” Harry was positive the flower would be blushing in embarrassment if it could. Finally focusing a little bit Harry looked to where Sans had been, finding the skeleton on the ground laughing just as bad as him.

The smaller skeleton was holding his ribs, laying in the snow, light blue tears trailing down his face. “Holy Stars! I can’t ... can’t believe I thought that... That you could be. Dangerous! Too good. That was too good!” Sans tried to talk through his laughs with marginal success. 

The pair slowly calmed down, Harry rubbing his stomach to help with the ache in his muscles, with Flowey glaring at him from the shoe in his hand. “I hope you’re proud of yourself. I’ve lost all respect for you.” 

Harry just grinned and gently flicked the flower’s ‘forehead’. “Like you had any to begin with. Maybe only a little because I’m stronger then you. I’m not gunna hold my breath for your approval anytime soon.” 

Sans slowly got back up from the ground, trying to wipe the snow off his clothing, natural skeleton grin wider then ever. “I can’t believe you used the dad joke. I mean, I’m sure Gaster probably at least told you we existed, but he never was one for jokes. I can’t even compare you to him at all, you’re so different. It’s kind of nice having another jokester in the underground.” 

Everyone took a moment to compose themselves, straightening out clothing and relaxing back into a comfortable situation. Gaster decided he probably should get up off the ground, hovering behind Harry again. 

‘(I’ll never forgive you for this. It’s hard enough getting children to follow your directions. I doubt Sans will ever take me seriously again.)’ 

Sans huffed a small laugh, stepping forward towards the bridge that lead to where Papyrus had ran off to. “Well, come on. You said something about a promise? I’m guessing Gaster has roped you into doing something for you and everything he left is in the Hotland lab. Only way there is past Snowdin, which is this way. Follow me, Bud.” 

Harry watched surprised as Sans walked past him and onto the bridge with the too wide gate. Curiosity got him to follow, stepping behind the small skeleton and towards the small hut along the trail ahead of them. 

“Wait, just like that? What happened to all the hostility and questions and magic blue eye powers?” Harry couldn’t just let it go, curiosity too much. Sans had been adamant for answers before Papyrus had shown up. 

Sans seemed to shrug before turning to him with a grin. “To he honest, that all seems like too much work. You don’t seem like a bad guy, anyone who likes bad jokes and pranks cant be all bad, and when I saw your soul it wasn’t any different then the last time I saw Gaster’s. Which means, since you’ve gained possession of it, you haven’t killed anyone.” 

Harry blinked in surprise at the small skeleton, wondering on that reason and the logistics for it. The rules of this universe were still unfamiliar to Harry. “Oh? What makes you say that? I have to admit, I don’t really know much about this place on a fundamental level. Being told something and experiencing it are drastically different things.” 

Flowey huffed from his position in Harry’s hand, looking like it was trying to cross leaves like arms in exasperation. “Well, if you’d listened to my explanations when we first met, I could have explained all that already.” 

Sans stopped walking just past the little guard hut, turning back to Harry with a curious look. “Well, bud, if you kill someone down here, the transferred magic increases your LOVE. It’s your level of violence. Gaster’s soul hasn’t changed so you haven’t absorbed any magic down here, which means your hands are dust free. It also means the Frisk, the human who usually shows up here, wasn’t stopped by you.” 

Harry tilted his head, thinking on this information. This was another mention of the human, Frisk, who usually traversed the Underground. Gaster had mentioned a red souled human who was part of the problem in the timelines. “So, what your saying is that you suspected I had killed the child after falling into this place, effectively taking the child’s place in this time line... Interesting..” 

Sans seemed to startle at the mention of time lines, staring at Harry with blank sockets. “You.. You know about the timelines? The recurrences..?” Sans’ voice had shrunk, sounding small and unsure. Harry felt a bit for the skeleton. Gaster said no one should remember the time loops. 

“Hmm.. well sure, it was kind of obvious. Time streams don’t just splinter and glitch like that naturally. Something has been breaking the coherence of this Multi-verse, whether on purpose or on accident, and it’s only been getting worse. I had theorized that some of the splinter shards will restart once it reaches its cut off point, making it loop through time from a set point. I’m guess this happens here? How many times?” Harry had started pacing a bit as he talked, almost only talking to himself accidentally, noticing the way Sans and Flowey had started to stare at him. 

“Because of that stupid flower? More then enough times.. but the Human, Frisk..? They’ve restarted too many times for me to remember... Sometimes they just feel like dreams..” Sans seemed to wilt, hand stuffed in his jacket pocket and shoulders sunk low. “I’m not sure why I’m telling you this... It’ll just happen again.. and no one will remember but that stupid..” Sans was glaring at Flowey now, eye lights wavering with emotion. 

‘( Harry, Sans can help us. While his memory isn’t perfect He does seem to remember the key points of this phenomena. He is a scientist at heart, even if he’s let depression get the better of him, Sans could be useful finding the solution. If we could-)’ 

Harry turned sharply to Gaster with a glare, startling the other two in his company, hissing sharply to ghostly skeleton. “I’m not tricking your son into helping us. Sans can decide if he wishes to help, of his own volition and power, or not at all. It sounds like he’s suffered enough from his broken time line, we don’t need to make it worse.” 

Flowey was looking at him like he’d lost his mind but Sans looked about ready to feint. The skeleton was rattling softly, hands clenched in his jacket. “Wait.. you can hear him? He talks to you..? Right now? He’s heard and seen everything..?” 

Harry flinched, taking a breath and sighing softly. Damn, He’d really wanted too keep Gaster a secret for now. Reaching up with his free hand, Harry waved it vaguely to where Gaster was floating looking annoyed. ‘(Don’t talk over me. I’m only trying to help. This is important Harry. This sans probably wont even continue to exist when we fix the splinters. He’s expe-)’ 

“Yeah, the Goober is right here, and I’m not talking to him right now. He’s being very... disagreeable.” Harry glared at the scientist next to him, daring him to continue that train of thought. The ghost skeleton huffed in annoyance but backed off, crossing his arms and turning away. ‘(Fine. Do it your way, but don’t come to me when this falls through and we need his help. I’ll have another ‘I told you so’ ready and waiting.)’

Sans was staring at the, to him, blank spot. There was no indication anything or anyone could be there, other then Harry’s word. The human hadn’t lied to him yet so.. Sans huffed softly, rubbing the back of his head and slowly relaxing. No need to be so tense. It was only his dead dad, who he watched die in the core, when the brother’s needed him most...

“Well... Guess he.. really let himself go. He’s nothing but air..Heh.” The joke was weak but Harry gave a small chuckle anyway to help the small skeleton feel better. Gaster just sighed at the pun, ignoring them. 

“He’s being pouty now. Which is hilarious by the way.” Harry grinned and turned back down the road they had been heading. There seemed to be an intersection up ahead where he could turn to the left or keep going straight. “We need to get to Hotland since Gaster said he had some equipment that might help in evaluating the timeline. We need to find the cause of the splintering before we can start mending the time way back into it’s original state. Flowey here seems to have some experience in manipulating time so they are coming along for an insider perspective.” 

Sans stared a bit more at the spot Gaster had been before turning and stepping down the path again. “Yeah.. that’s right.. Even if he didn’t, all the scientific equipment is in the Lab in Hotland. I’ll show you the way there... If it will stop the resetting I’ll.. I’ll do anything I can to help ya..” 

The skeleton looked skeptical that there was anything they could do but HoPe was everything. Even just a single instance of HoPe can change the course of time itself. 

“You weren’t kidding about the Death thing, were you?” Flowey suddenly piped up. Harry startled a bit, not having expected the question or Flowey to come into the conversation. “Oh, the Death and Void thing? Nah, that’s all true. Gaster basically spread his entire existence of being into the Void. I was bored so I put him back together. One thing turns into another and here I am. Probably the best shot you have at fixing everything. You’re welcome.” Harry grinned at the two, magic oozing the texture of Void.

Harry really had no reason so lie, getting these two to help would be easier without deception and trickery. Flowey looked awed, for the first time not being angry or annoyed. “So.. So you weren’t lying about the soul..? You put Gaster’s back together..? I can.. have mine back..?” 

Sans looked alarmed at hearing about Flowey’s missing soul but Harry ignored it. The issue would sort itself out eventually. “Well, it’ll be a little more complicated then Gaster but I’m confident once I fix the splinter you’ll be back to how you originally should have been. I’m pretty much the only thing keeping Gaster together. Call it a tumor or parasite all you want but this way Gaster can stay Gaster. Think of it like I’m Gaster’s new body, which just happens to have its own personality.”

The group walked past the intersection, keeping straight and ignoring the turn, following along until Harry spots a familiar flash of red. The taller skeleton was running full tilt towards them, seeming excited. 

“SANS! SANS! YOUR NEW FRIEND IS A HUMAN!! A HUUUUUMAAAAAN!”

Oh shit...

Finding another ally to share in the burden of saving the underground fills you with DETERMINATION.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think :D I'll try updating on weekends.


End file.
